Alisson’s Injury Leaves Liverpool in a Bind
Liverpool faces a challenging period as their first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, is expected to be sidelined for several weeks due to a muscle issue. This means the Reds will be without their key player for the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City and both legs of the Champions League tie with Paris Saint-Germain.
Alisson missed the recent defeat to Brighton before the international break and has now been ruled out for an extended period. As a result, Giorgi Mamardashvili will step in as the temporary replacement in the coming weeks.
Despite this setback, there are some positive developments for Liverpool. Alexander Isak, the club’s high-profile summer signing, could make his first appearance of the 2026 season in the upcoming match against Manchester City. Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah is set to return after being absent during the game against Brighton.
Head coach Arne Slot confirmed that Alisson will not be available for the upcoming match against Paris Saint-Germain. He added, “He will be out for a bit longer. Towards the end of the season, we expect him to be fit again.”
Salah, who has announced that he will leave Liverpool at the end of the season, has only missed one game this campaign. Slot highlighted that Salah trained with the team on Thursday and will continue training on Friday, making him available for the match against City.
Isak’s Return and Challenges
Isak has been out since December after sustaining a leg injury just after scoring against Tottenham. He also underwent ankle surgery, which has delayed his return. While Slot is optimistic about Isak’s progress, he acknowledged that it is too soon for the striker to start against City.
“He has trained with us yesterday for the first time and today will be the second time after exactly 101 days,” Slot said. “It will take a bit of time to give him a lot of minutes, but we will make sure we do the right thing in terms of building him up.”
The decision on when to introduce Isak into the starting line-up is complicated by the nature of the FA Cup. Slot explained, “It is a difficult one because we don’t play a normal game. What I mean is it could go to extra time, so that makes it even more complicated if we bring him in and we think he can only play 10 minutes, and then it goes to extra time.”
He added, “Of course, we can take him off again if we have enough players available. Maybe a few minutes, but let’s wait and see how he is today, how he feels about it himself.”
Frimpong’s Availability and Squad Depth
Another concern for Liverpool is the availability of Jeremie Frimpong. The defender came off during the Netherlands’ draw with Ecuador, and while Slot expects him to be fit, he does not want to risk losing the summer signing again.
“As we know, we don’t have eight right-backs available,” Slot said, highlighting the importance of managing the squad carefully.
With Alisson out and Isak still working his way back, Liverpool must rely on its depth and tactical flexibility. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining how the team manages its remaining fixtures, especially with the FA Cup and Champions League still on the horizon.
As the season approaches its final stages, the focus will be on ensuring that players like Isak are reintegrated safely, while maintaining the momentum needed to compete at the highest level.
