LIVERPOOL BOSS ARNE Slot has confirmed that goalkeeper Alisson Becker is fit to start after being named in their Champions League squad for tomorrow’s match in Girona.
The Brazil international, 32, has been sidelined since October with a hamstring problem which has seen him miss 11 matches.
Alisson and forward Diogo Jota, who has not featured since sustaining a chest injury against Chelsea on October 20, were both involved in full training at Liverpool’s AXA training complex on Monday.
However, only the goalkeeper has been included in the 19-man party which flew out to Spain from Merseyside for Tuesday evening’s game.
Caoimhin Kelleher has kept five clean sheets, including two against Real Madrid and Manchester City, since he began covering for Alisson but made his first real error at Newcastle on Wednesday with his late misjudgement allowing the hosts to snatch a 3-3 draw.
Advertisement
“So happy to be back,” Alisson posted on Instagram from on board the team plane before take-off.
Slot confirmed Alisson is fit to start, adding: “I think it speaks for itself. If you can play with Alisson, who has been so outstanding for the club for so many years and for the Brazil national team, that is definitely nice to have him back.
“But if you then look at how his replacement did it is not going to be easy to do even better. We expect the same, and maybe on margins a bit better but Caoimh did so well we can say we have two good goalkeepers.
“But for so many years Alisson has been so outstanding for this club and we are expecting him to do the same over the next few months.”
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister also did not travel as he is suspended.
But the return of Alisson and Jota is a boost for head coach Arne Slot ahead of the busy festive schedule to come.
Forward Federico Chiesa, whose own fitness struggles have limited him to three appearances since joining late in the summer, was not present at training due to illness.
Chiesa, a £10million signing from Juventus, scored for the under-21s last week as he stepped up his recovery.
Slot is still without defenders Ibrahima Konate, Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas, who are all likely to be out until the new year.
Captain Virgil van Dijk, meanwhile, has been named in the FIFPRO Men’s World11, voted for by more than 21,000 professional players around the world, for the fourth time.