Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker hobbled off the 4-1 season opening victory over Norwich City Friday night due to a calf problem. He waived off the stretcher that arrived to take him off the pitch, but he still needed assistance from the team’s medical staff in order to exit field.
Ahead of tomorrow’s UEFA Super Cup in Istanbul versus Chelsea, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told the club’s official website that his No. 1 will be out a few weeks.
Chelsea Super Cup Team News, Starting XI Prediction
“[It’s] not too cool. It’s a calf injury, which takes him obviously out for a while,” Klopp said to Liverpoolfc.com.
“I don’t want to make now [an] exact prognosis on when he will be back but it will not be Wednesday for sure, so now then we have to see. It takes a while, it takes a couple weeks for sure, and we have to see.”
“I saw already like ‘six weeks’ and stuff like this, but Ali was not a lot injured in his career so I would like to wait a little bit to see how he develops in that process now, but he is not in for the next few weeks.”
Alisson, who broke the transfer fee record for a goalkeeper when he moved over from AS Roma last summer, will not get the chance to face the man in midweek who broke that record, Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga, just a few days later.
Adrian will now get call in between the sticks in the trophy game Wednesday night.
Liverpool FC Team News, Starting XI Prediction
So while it remains to be seen just how long Alisson will be out of commission, he did start all 38 league games for the Reds last season. Liverpool will also be without the services of back-up right back Nathaniel Clyne in this game, due to a knee issue.
UEFA Super Cup FYIs
Kickoff: Wednesday, August 14, 8pm, Vodafone Arena
Match official: Stephanie Frappart
TV: BT Sport 2
Super Cup score prediction: Liverpool 3, Chelsea 1
With the Reds having a more fit squad and in a much better place overall, it’s hard to pick against them in this clash.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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