Alisson Ruled Out of Liverpool’s Champions League First-Leg Trip to Galatasaray

Liverpool will be without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker for Tuesday’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Galatasaray after the Brazilian picked up a late training-ground complaint, manager Arne Slot confirmed on Monday.

The 33-year-old, who has already missed eight matches this season following a hamstring injury sustained in October, felt discomfort towards the end of the squad’s open session and was subsequently left out of the travelling party to Istanbul.

“Ali, of course, was in the training session, as many people could see, but unfortunately he felt something towards the end,” Slot told reporters. “People looked at it and we decided—and he decided together—that it wasn’t good enough to play tomorrow. Then it’s of no use travelling.”

Slot added that the issue is not believed to be serious and refused to rule Alisson out of Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur. “There’s definitely a chance, yes, because we don’t expect it to be a big thing, but it was too much to be available for tomorrow.”

In Alisson’s absence, summer signing Giorgi Mamardashvili is poised to make his ninth appearance of the campaign and his fourth Champions League start. The 25-year-old Georgian, signed from Valencia, previously replaced Alisson after 33 minutes of Liverpool’s 1-0 league-phase defeat to Galatasaray in September, a match that triggered the Brazilian’s seven-week lay-off.

Fellow goalkeepers Freddie Woodman and academy prospect Kornel Misciur have also been included in the squad, while forward Federico Chiesa has been omitted and did not take part in Monday’s training.

Alisson has kept 12 clean sheets in 32 appearances this term, but his recent form has dipped below his usual standards. Nevertheless, his experience will be missed in a hostile environment where Liverpool have already suffered injury heartache this season.

For Mamardashvili, the tie represents an opportunity to accelerate his adaptation to English football and justify the club’s long-term faith in him as the eventual successor between the posts.

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