On Wednesday, Liverpool FC will play in the third round of the League Cup – without their regular keeper, Alisson. Just as he was against Bournemouth. There is still a question mark over the Brazilian for Saturday as well.
Alisson was still in goal for the 3-1 Champions League win over AC Milan, but the Reds’ keeper had to sit out last weekend’s 3-0 league defeat to AFC Bournemouth. Muscular problems prevented the 31-year-old from playing, and he will also be missing on Wednesday in the third round of the League Cup against West Ham United, as manager Arne Slot confirmed.
Slot is putting his trust in Caoimhin Kelleher, who stood in for the injured Alisson against Bournemouth, against the Hammers. “Caoimhin will definitely be in goal tomorrow,” said Slot at the pre-match press conference. The LFC manager left open the question of whether he will be able to call on Alisson again next Saturday at Wolverhampton Wanderers.
“Alisson is on the right track,” emphasized Slot, adding that the clash with West Ham is definitely ‘a bit too early. We’re looking ahead to the weekend against Wolves, but it’s going to be tight.’ He ‘won’t be there’ in the League Cup, and the Premier League game will show ‘whether he makes it.’
First-choice goalkeeper since joining in 2018
So far, Alisson has played the first four Premier League games in addition to the Champions League game against Milan. The goalkeeper has been the first-choice keeper for the Reds since joining from AS Roma in the summer of 2018, winning the 2018/19 Champions League with Liverpool and the long-awaited 2019/20 league title. He was in goal for Brazil at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, but the Selecao failed to make it past the quarter-finals on both occasions.
