Liverpool cantered into the October international break top of the Premier League table with a perfect record in Europe and the domestic cups, the heartbreak of parting ways with Jurgen Klopp swiftly becoming a hazy memory.
But Arne Slot’s dream start to life on Merseyside was dealt a blow in the final 15 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. Alisson, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, pulled up holding his hamstring. Slot could tell from the anguish washing across the Brazilian’s face that it was a serious issue and further tests have revealed that Liverpool will be without their number one for at least seven weeks.
This comes just as Liverpool embark upon a daunting slate of fixtures in three different competitions which their manager has cautiously described as “difficult”. Here’s what the Reds will have to navigate without Alisson.
Alisson missed two games this season with a hamstring complaint at the end of September. The Brazilian managed to navigate a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers without any issue before dropping to the Selhurst Park turf clutching the same muscle. The latest damage is thought to be far more severe than his previous complaint.
Last season, Alisson sat out two months with another hamstring issue which he sustained in a February training session, ruling him out of quarter-finals in the FA Cup and Europa League. Liverpool lost both of those knockout ties but boast a surprisingly positive league record without Alisson. The Reds are unbeaten in their last 15 top-flight matches in the Brazilian’s absence.
What games will Alisson miss for Liverpool through injury?
“It is up to us to show ourselves in the big games,” Slot declared ahead of Liverpool‘s upcoming matches. There are plenty of big games on the horizon, starting with the visit of Chelsea in the Premier League upon the competition’s resumption. Much like the Merseyside club, Chelsea’s new coach Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a successful start to his role thanks partially to a kind fixture list.
Slot’s Alisson-less outfit then embark upon three away games in a week, racking up more than 2,000 miles as they hop from Leipzig to London before ending with a Carabao Cup tie at Brighton’s Amex Stadium.
Fabian Hurzeler’s high-flying Seagulls make the trip to Anfield just three days later to complete their double-header with a league game. Brighton’s radically high backline has been routinely punished, but they have scored as many league goals as Liverpool (13) across the opening seven matches.
Alisson will miss out on the highly anticipated Anfield return of former Liverpool midfielder and Bayer Leverkusen boss, Xabi Alonso. The revered young coach turned down the advances of his former employers and Bayern Munich to stay at Leverkusen this summer after guiding the German side to the club’s first-ever Bundesliga title without losing a single league game. Despite rejecting the chance to replace Jurgen Klopp, Alonso insisted: “For sure, my bond with Liverpool is there and it’s still there.”
After that emotionally charged Champions League tie, Liverpool go into the November international break on the back of a Premier League clash with Aston Villa. Alisson will have another fortnight to recover before he potentially makes his return with a trip to newly promoted Southampton on 24 November.
