Liverpool were without Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah as they lost 2-1 to Brighton on Saturday in the Premier League and Arne Slot gave an update on his goalkeeper post-match
Alisson Becker of Liverpoo
Alisson missed Liverpool's defeat at Brighton(Image: Steven Halliwell/Getty Images)
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Arne Slot has admitted that Alisson Becker is in a race to be fit for Liverpool's all-important Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain after the goalkeeper missed the defeat by Brighton. Giorgi Mamardashvili deputised for Alisson on the south coast - and could continue in goal.
Alisson has struggled with hamstring injuries this season and missed the first leg of Liverpool's last-16 tie against Galatasaray. He returned for the 4-0 win over the Turkish side on Wednesday at Anfield, before sitting out of the trip to Brighton once more.
Mamardashvili was powerless to stop Danny Welbeck from scoring twice as the under-par Reds were beaten 2-1 in the Premier League's early kick-off on Saturday. And the Georgian may have to continue after the international break.
“Alisson will definitely be out during the international break. Let’s see afterwards," Slot said in his post-match press conference.
Posting on Instagram on Saturday morning, Alisson said: "Unfortunately I will be out of action for a while. Already working hard to be back stronger! Thank you for the support."
Liverpool are next in action against Manchester City in the quarter finals of the FA Cup on April 4 before the first leg of their Champions League tie against PSG five days later. Mamardashvili has played 13 times this season, so is no stranger to filling in for Alisson following his move from Valencia in the summer.
Slot was without the injured Mohamed Salah for the Brighton game and then suffered a further blow when Hugo Ekitike was forced off in the opening stages following a clash with James Milner. Thankfully for Liverpool, he had some encouraging news post-match.
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool leaves the pitch due to a injury
Hugo Ekitike went off injured early in the Brighton defeat(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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"Hugo could play tomorrow if he had to," Slot said. "It was a dead leg. It was a collision that led to him going off. It was not helpful."
He added to TNT Sports: "The players, the fans, we all know there's only eight games to go to qualify for the Champions League.
"Every game you have to miss is something you're upset about. Him having to go off so early, not being able to help the team with something which is just a bit of bad luck and not something that's going to be keeping him out for three months, as far as we know.
"It was bad enough to not be able to continue and it's a big blow for him, and in the end was a big blow for us too."
Alexander Isak during a Liverpool training session
Alexander Isak is nearing a comeback from injury(Image: Jan Kruger)
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Liverpool were poor against Brighton, who were deserved winners. They failed to create much when chasing an equaliser, finishing the game with Federico Chiesa, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha in attack, with summer signing Alexander Isak still sidelined.
"Alex will available [for PSG], yes," Slot said on Friday. "The question is what you mean around 'being ready'. If you want to have the player who played exactly a year ago against us in the Carabao Cup final - and was too good for us on that day - then I would tell you I have my doubts about that after seven or eight months out.
"But I expect that I can use him for minutes. Exactly what I get from that I cannot tell you because he hasn't trained with the team even once."
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