Alisson Becker's latest injury update means the goalkeeper will miss seven upcoming Premier League matches.
The first-choice keeper suffered a hamstring injury during the 1-0 defeat over Crystal Palace last Saturday. After falling to the pitch and wincing in pain, he limped out of his box and into the dressing room before being replaced by Vitezslav Jaros in one of the final three subs of the match.
Alisson's injury happened right before the international break , but it was confirmed that he will still miss six weeks of action. The goalkeeper will now miss seven games while the club sits atop the league table by a one-point margin to Manchester City.
Becker will miss the upcoming home fixture against Chelsea on October 20. The Blues have been on a roll this season, winning three of their last five league matches without taking any losses. Chelsea has been clinical in front of goal, ranking second in the league with 16 goals behind Manchester City. Cole Palmer has already notched six goals and has been a big part of their attacking success.
Alisson's track record against the Blues is elite. The Brazilian shot-stopper has four clean sheets and made 26 saves in ten appearances against the Blues throughout his career, allowing only eight goals in those encounters.
In addition to missing the home clash against Chelsea, the Brazilian will also be unavailable for a string of important fixtures, including matches against RB Leipzig, Arsenal, Brighton [twice], Bayer Leverkusen, and Aston Villa at Anfield. The first match against Brighton will be in the Carabao Cup, followed by a Premier League fixture.
The Reds will face RB Leipzig in the Champions League, where they sit fifth in their group table. The pressure is mounting as the new tournament structure allows the top 8 teams to qualify directly for Round 16.
Finishing between 9th and 16th would still see Liverpool secure a seeded spot in the knockout phase, while those ranked 17th to 24th will earn unseeded berths. Positions 25 and 26 face complete elimination from European competition, making Alisson's absence in these key fixtures particularly concerning for the Reds' Champions League aspirations.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot stressed the importance of the squad's next fixtures immediately after the injury. He even admitted that while the team was dominant against Palace, Arsenal is a completely different beast.
"It is a tough run of fixtures. We probably won't be as dominant as we were today when we play Arsenal. All fixtures are difficult. It is up to us to show up in the big games," said Slot. "Unfortunately, Ali will not be with us in those matches, I assume, because of how he walked off."
Becker has just as good a track record against Arsenal in his Premier League career as he does against Chelsea. In 11 appearances against the Gunners, he's kept three clean sheets, allowed 14 goals, and made 25 saves.
Matches Alisson is set to miss:
- Liverpool vs Chelsea - Premier League - October 20
- RB Leipzig vs Liverpool - Champions League - October 23
- Arsenal vs Liverpool - Premier League - October 27
- Brighton vs Liverpool - EFL Cup - October 30
- Liverpool vs Brighton - Premier League - November 2
- Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen - Champions League - November 5
- Liverpool vs Aston Villa - Champions League - November 9
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