The proverbial injury added to insult occurred in midweek when Liverpool lost to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League competition. The Reds also lost their starting goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, due to a groin injury. It remains to be seen how long Alisson will be out, but Reds boss Arne Slot was very definitive, and actually quite colorful, in ruling the Brazilian shot stopper out for Saturday.
“When he sprinted back, he felt something,” Slot said regarding Alisson on Tuesday night.
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“I cannot tell you [exactly] because I am not a physio, but normally when a player sprints back – feels something – goes to the floor and doesn’t come back onto the pitch [it is not good]. Normally, he will not be able to play on Saturday. That’s 99.9 percent – I’ve already said 100 percent, but let’s make it 99.9 [although] I think it’s 100.”
So yes, 99%, 99.9%, 100% whatever it may be, he’s not playing this weekend.
Moving on to Hugo Ekitike, he came off early in Istanbul due to a thigh injury, but it is not serious, as he was named to the France squad for upcoming FIFA window of competition.
“He felt something when he had to reach for the ball,” said Slot.
“After the game, the difficult thing [is] when players feel like it is not too bad, but when you just walk around, it is something different than when you make a sprint or have to shoot on target. He said he couldn’t continue, so we had to take him off. Let’s see how he is for the weekend.”
He’s 50-50 for Saturday, as is Federico Chiesa, with Slot saying on Monday, in regards to the Italian international’s injury situation:
“He got a little niggle, I think it is the word you use here in England, in the last game against Palace. He tried it today, he was on the pitch in the beginning, but he couldn’t end the session, so we decided not to take him because in a few days it’s Chelsea again.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter