Expected Alisson injury recovery timeline comes to light

Liverpool’s medical staff are working to establish exactly how long first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker will be sidelined after the Brazilian sustained another injury on the eve of the Champions League round-of-16 first-leg tie against Galatasaray in Istanbul.

The 33-year-old, who featured in both meetings with Wolves last week, was forced to remain on Merseyside after breaking down in the final training session before the squad flew to Turkey on Monday. Head coach Arne Slot delivered an upbeat, if cautious, assessment when asked whether Alisson could be available for Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Tottenham at Anfield.

“There’s definitely a chance, yeah, because we don’t expect it to be a big thing,” Slot told reporters in Istanbul, adding that the club’s medical department is still conducting tests to determine the severity of the complaint.

Alisson’s latest setback revives memories of the autumn, when a hamstring problem suffered against the same Galatasaray side in September was initially forecast to keep him out for a matter of days but ultimately sidelined him for seven weeks. During that spell, Valencia loanee Giorgi Mamardashvili deputised and is poised to step between the posts once again should the No. 1 fail to recover in time.

The timing is far from ideal for Liverpool, who slipped to a damaging league defeat at Wolves last time out and now find Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea breathing down their necks in the race for next season’s Champions League places. With silverware still up for grabs and European progression on the line, Slot can ill-afford further lapses.

Off the pitch, uncertainty over Alisson’s long-term future has intensified. Italian giants Juventus and Inter Milan are understood to be monitoring his situation ahead of a potential summer approach, while sporting director Richard Hughes is preparing to trigger a one-year extension clause that would bind the goalkeeper to the club until 2027. Yet with wages reported to exceed £150,000 per week, Liverpool will want assurances that the shot-stopper’s body can withstand the rigours of a relentless schedule.

For now, all eyes are on the coming days as the club awaits a definitive prognosis on their talismanic keeper.