Will Alisson Play for Liverpool vs. Tottenham? Arne Slot Provides Update

Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper has been dealing with a muscular injury.

Alisson is a major injury concern for Liverpool. | Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Without offering any assurances, Arne Slot revealed that he was “hopeful” Alisson would be back in goal for Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

This struggling iteration of the north London outfit does not inspire quite the same fear as in years gone by. Spurs are enduring the worst losing run in club history, find themselves lumbered with an interim manager already on the brink of the sack and a squad of players reportedly fighting among themselves. However, Liverpool will still need a capable goalkeeper.

Tottenham have scored in 13 of their last 14 matches. Only against Manchester United, when they were reduced to 10 men for more than an hour, did Spurs draw a blank despite their obvious failings across all three thirds of the pitch.

Liverpool don’t boast a particularly inspiring backline—the defending champions have the Premier League’s ninth-best defensive record—and can ill-afford to go too many games without their first-choice shot-stopper between the posts. Yet, they may have to wait a little longer.

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Arne Slot Rates Alisson’s Chances of Playing Tottenham

Alisson has been at Liverpool since 2018. | Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Alisson missed Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray with a muscular issue which Slot has been keen to downplay as “minor.” After already sitting out seven weeks with a hamstring issue in autumn, the Reds were in no position to rush the Brazilian back into action in midweek.

“He felt something when he passed the ball in one of his muscles, but after we checked it it was so minor we think it doesn’t have to take very long,” Slot told assembled media on Friday. “But as always games follow up so fast that he had to miss the one against Galatasaray and hopefully he is available and ready for Sunday.

“If not,” Slot added, “I am expecting him, if things go as planned, definitely against Galatasaray.”

Liverpool’s last-16 second leg with the Turkish giants takes place on Wednesday at Anfield. The Reds are trailing 1–0 on aggregate but had plenty of chances in Istanbul to suggest that they will be able to fire their way beyond this slender deficit. Keeping the back door shut during this forward charge will be crucial and can only be aided by Alisson’s inclusion. Not that his stand-in did too badly.

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How Will Giorgi Mamardashvili Fare Against Tottenham?

Giorgi Mamardashvili did well in Alisson’s absence against Galatasaray. | Yagiz Gurtug/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Giorgi Mamardashvili bounded into his first season at Anfield threatening to challenge Alisson’s first-choice status. That never materialized. In fact, the Georgia international looked shaky throughout his run in the side during his teammate’s injury layoff in October and November.

However, Mamardashvili delivered a measured display in the inhospitable atmosphere of Rams Park against Galatasaray. Only beaten by Mario Lemina’s close-range header from a corner, the 25-year-old made three saves, including one rubbery tip around the post to spectacularly deny Davinson Sánchez, to keep Liverpool within touching distance before the second leg.

Alisson still represents one of the best goalkeepers anywhere on the planet but if Mamardashvili can replicate that impressive showing against Spurs, Liverpool shouldn’t miss their No. 1 too much.

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