Liverpool suffered a significant setback during their Champions League match against Galatasaray, as goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced off the field with an injury. The incident occurred in the 54th minute of the game when Alisson made a save to deny Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen. Osimhen was set up after Ibrahima Konate's poor pass to Ryan Gravenberch put Liverpool in danger. While stopping the shot, the Brazilian goalkeeper appeared to hurt himself and signaled to the bench that he needed assistance. After receiving treatment, he was eventually replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The extent of Alisson's injury is not yet clear, but Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that he will not be available for their upcoming Premier League match against Chelsea on Saturday. "It's never positive if you go off like this," Slot said. "You can be sure he's not playing on Saturday and let's wait how long it's going to take".
This injury is a major blow for Liverpool, as Alisson is their undisputed first-choice goalkeeper. He has been a key player for the team since joining in 2018, and his absence will be keenly felt. Alisson has had injury spells in each of the last two seasons. Last season, a hamstring problem kept him out for over two months, from early October to mid-December. He also missed time due to a thigh injury and a concussion.
Giorgi Mamardashvili, who joined Liverpool from Valencia this summer, is now set to fill in for Alisson. The Georgia international made his Champions League debut for the club after replacing Alisson in Istanbul. He is now on standby to make his Premier League debut at Stamford Bridge.
Alisson's injury compounded a frustrating evening for Liverpool, who lost the match 1-0. Osimhen's 16th-minute penalty, conceded by Dominik Szoboszlai, proved to be the difference between the two teams. Liverpool was also coming off a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League. This marks only the second time Liverpool has lost two straight games since Slot took over in the summer of 2024. The other instance was in March, when they were defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and then by Newcastle in the English League Cup final. Liverpool had won their first seven games in all competitions this season before these recent losses.
