- Arne Slot spoke to the press ahead of the FA Cup clash between Manchester City and Liverpool
- He provided an update on Alisson, who picked up an injury before the international break
- The Brazilian is looking at further time on the treatment table
Liverpool have suffered a huge blow ahead of the final stretch of the season, with Arne Slot delivering a crushing update on goalkeeper Alisson Becker .
The international break is done, and club football is back. For anyone who has already forgotten or has been living under a rock, the Reds sit fifth in the Premier League and are all but confirmed to lose their title.
Slot’s stocks have collapsed significantly, and his hopes of reinstating his reputation among the Liverpool faithful rely on the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest that the former Feyenoord boss will approach Saturday’s (4 April) FA Cup quarter-final tie against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium like a cup final.
He has received a major boost ahead of the trip, with Mohamed Salah, who missed international duty, confirmed to be fully fit after recovering from a muscle injury.
It is not all promising on the injury front, though.
Alisson out ‘towards end of season’ – Slot
Providing an update on Alisson’s fitness, Slot confirmed that he will not be available to face Manchester City, as well as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday (8 April).
The Dutch tactician explained that the goalkeeper, who missed the 2-1 defeat against Brighton before the break, is out for a longer period of time, setting the end of the season a realistic time to return.
Speaking to the press, Slot said, “Yeah, he will not be part of the PSG game either, out for a bit longer. Towards the end of the season we expect him to be fit.”
There have also been concerns regarding Jeremie Frimpong’s availability after he was forced off in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw with Ecuador on Tuesday (31 March) after playing just 13 minutes.
The right-back, though, appears fit to face his former employers this weekend, although Slot is concerned about rushing his back and risking injury again.
“Frimpong trained with us and seems to be okay, but he was one of the players I referred to at Brighton”, he added. “He still has a step to make in terms of every 3 days. Interesting and difficult choice for how many minutes on international duty. We don’t have 8 right full-backs available, but I will find an answer.”
Slot is already short in the right-back position, with both Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez nursing injuries.
He will be hoping that Frimpong can handle a decent workload against Manchester City. Otherwise, it is likely that Dominik Szoboszlai is shoe-horned in at the full-back position again.
Giorgi Mamardashvili can shine for Liverpool
Alisson’s injury means Giorgi Mamardashvili is set to get an extended run of games in the lineup.
The Georgia international has already amassed 13 appearances across all competitions this season, thus highlighting increasing concerns regarding Alisson’s fitness.
The 33-year-old has been a pivotal figure in the Reds’ success over the last eight years, but he has proven to be prone to injury on occasion.
Caoimhin Kelleher proved to be a popular deputee until his move to Brentford last year, but Mamardashvili is yet to win over the fans entirely.
Liverpool agreed a deal to sign the shot-stopper from Valencia for £25m as early as 2024, with the player then officially joining the ranks last year.
He has been signed with a view to replacing Alisson, when he eventually departs, but there are still question marks over his ability to do so.
In his defence, Mamardashvili has not had an extended run of games in Slot’s starting lineup to prove himself.
It is also evident that other players are still building chemistry with him, as evidenced by their tendency to pass the ball onto his right foot on many occasions, despite being left-footed.
With Alisson sidelined for an extended period, Mamardashvili has the chance to claim his stake to be the Brazilian’s successor, starting with the trip to Manchester City on Saturday.
