“I would be surprised if he’s there” - Arne Slot provides injury update on 3 players before Chelsea v Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has ruled out goalkeeper Alisson from the Chelsea clash at Stamford Bridge this weekend in the Premier League. The Reds boss is also waiting to take the final call on Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa, as the duo are also dealing with injury issues.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Slot confirmed that Alisson was set to be ruled out for up to three weeks, stating that the Brazilian would be unavailable for the national team when they face South Korea and Japan this month. He added that Ekitike and Chiesa are facing late fitness tests and said (via Liverpool ECHO):

"Alisson is not part of the squad tomorrow and won't travel to Brazil as well with the national team. He will be out for Saturday. Hugo [Ekitike] is going to train again today and same can be said for Federico [Chiesa]. Alisson I would be surprised if he's there for first game after international break but we don't know after that. Depends how quickly he can recover."

Slot went on to state that the club are not concerned about Alisson despite his injury issues. Speaking ahead of the Chelsea game, he added:

"Concern over Ali? I'm not a doctor so I can't tell you if it's every time the same. I'm mainly interested in how well it's going to take and there are other people in the club who can give you a better answer."

Alisson missed 26 matches for club and country last season due to a hamstring issue, while also missing 15 games in the 2023/24 season due to the same issue. The Athletic reported on Thursday, October 2, that the Brazilian will be out for up to six weeks, missing at least eight games for the Reds, strting with the Chelsea game this weekend.

Giorgi Mamardashvili set to make Premier League debut for Liverpool at Chelsea

Liverpool will turn to Giorgi Mamardashvili this weekend against Chelsea, with Alisson out injured. The Georgian goalkeeper joined from Valencia in the summer after a deal was agreed in 2024.

The Reds manager, Arne Slot, is confident that the 25-year-old can step up and said (via Liverpool ECHO):

"We knew we were bringing in a very good goalkeeper. When he plays his first game it's the best way of seeing he's adjusted well or not, and we seen against Southampton he adjusted really well to our club which isn't a surprise as he is a quality goalkeeper."

Mamardashvili started in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton and came off the bench in the 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week.