- Mamardashvili sent to hospital
- Woodman praised for filling in
- Arne Slot jokes about injury crisis
Arne Slot has provided an update on Giorgi Mamardashvili after the Liverpool goalkeeper was stretchered off in the 2-1 Merseyside derby win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Georgian goalkeeper suffered an injury in the second half of the Everton clash after clashing with Beto and Andy Robertson. The 25-year-old was taken off in the 55th minute, which adds to the Reds injury worries, as Alisson is already out.
Arne Slot spoke after the 2-1 win over Everton, joking that he was ‘no longer surprised’ after Mamardashvili picked up an issue. Ármin Pécsi and Freddie Woodman were named on the bench, with the latter coming on and keeping a clean sheet in his 45+ minutes in the game.
He said:
“Is there anything that surprises you when it comes to injuries with us this season? Maybe I already envisaged it because I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which I usually normally don’t have, but of course has everything to do with the availability of all the other positions.”
The goalkeeper, who was making his first Premier League appearance since 2021, had to make just one save, but had 19 touches in the game.
Slot provides update on Mamardashvili
Mamardashvili was taken to the hospital straight after he was stretchered off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Slot has admitted that it does not look good. The goalkeeper has a big wound and will be facing a race against time to be fit for the Crystal Palace clash at the weekend.
“Freddie did a great job. Giorgi had to go to hospital, big wound, so let’s see how he will be. But Freddie deserves a lot of credit because if you have to come in just after conceding the 1-1, and the fans were ready for it, but he did his job really well. Kept his calm in a difficult moment where he was doubting if he should catch the ball, yes or no, and he kept his nerves and worked so hard to have this moment.”
Alisson is not expected to be fit for the game too, which could mean Woodman making his first start for Liverpool. Slot heaped praise on the substitute keeper, and then joked that he is ready to keep his Under-8s goalkeeper ready, given the injury crisis at the club.
“Usually third goalkeepers don’t play a lot, but in a season like ours, I think if you are playing at the moment in the U8s of Liverpool you should be ready for making your debut because it’s unbelievable what’s happening to us.”
Virgil van Dijk scored an injury-time goal to help Liverpool get all three points at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Mohamed Salah opened the scoring in the first half, before Beto cancelled it out within 10 minutes of the second half restart.
With Alisson already sidelined and Mamardashvili facing a nervous wait following his hospital trip, Liverpool’s goalkeeping department is being stretched to the absolute limit.
While the dramatic nature of the derby win will provide a temporary high, the reality of an escalating injury crisis is beginning to loom large over Anfield.
Arne Slot’s “U8s” joke may have drawn laughs in the press room, but if Freddie Woodman is forced into a starting role against Crystal Palace next weekend, the head coach will need his depleted squad to show every bit of the resilience they displayed at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
