CLEAN SHEET KINGS

 

ALISSON INJURY: LIVERPOOL GOAL KEEPER RULED OUT FOR 6 WEEKS

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson injured his hamstring against Crystal Palace. Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool have confirmed they will be without first-choice goalkeeper Alisson until late November after he injured his hamstring in their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Alisson, 32, was forced off in the 79th minute of the match, and was replaced by debutant third-choice goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros. With Alisson sidelined, Liverpool will turn to Caoimhín Kelleher to fill his gloves after the international break.

Liverpool are enjoying a brilliant start to life under new manager Arne Slot, but the news of Alisson's injury will come as a setback. Alisson is well-established as their first-choice goalkeeper, and will miss several key matches.

After the international break Liverpool face Chelsea at home in the Premier League before they travel to RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

They then face fellow title-hopefuls Arsenal away, Brighton away in the League cup and at home in the Premier League, Bayer Leverkusen at Anfield in the Champions League.

Alisson's return date is likely to be after the next international break when Liverpool travel to Southampton on Nov. 24. which then kicks off a run of fixtures which includes matches against Real Madrid and Manchester City.

With Alisson sidelined, Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Kelleher will step up. Kelleher started against Bournemouth earlier in the season when Alisson was injured, but missed Saturday's trip to Selhurst Park through illness.

"Alisson is our clear No. 1, the best goalkeeper in the world so it's a blow when he gets injured for himself and the team," Slot said after the match on Saturday.

"We have a second option that's already good. Caoimhín has already shown that, which is why Caoimhín is the No. 2 and the last time Alisson was injured, I played Caoimhín. He did really well, it's pleasing to see that our third goalkeeper can have an impact on results as Caoimhín was ill yesterday and today."

Alisson has struggled with hamstring problems this season and missed 10 Premier League matches last season. Liverpool have bolstered their goalkeeping options ahead of next season with the £29 million ($38m) signing of Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia.

- Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson injured his hamstring against Crystal Palace. Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

LIVERPOOL KEEP OR DUMP: SALAH, VAN DIJK, NÚÑEZ TO MOVE ON?

Virgil van Dijk, left, and Mohamed Salah, right, are two of the more senior players in the Liverpool squad. Could they be on their way out soon? (Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

 This is a big summer at Liverpool because so much has changed. It's not just Jurgen Klopp moving on after nearly nine seasons, but also at the very top of the club, with Michael Edwards and Julian Ward returning and Richard Hughes coming in as sporting director. Edwards, previously sporting director, comes back as chief executive of football, while Julian Ward, who succeeded Edwards as sporting director, is now technical director for all of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owner.

It's not just a question of titles, either. Ward and Edwards were hailed as the architects of some of the club's most successful transfer campaigns, offering the yin to Klopp's yang. When they left, the power shifted to the manager, and with Klopp gone and a comparatively inexperienced Arne Slot coming in as manager, it feels as if this is partly a re-balancing.

FSG were willing to put up all or part of the club for sale not long ago, selling a minority stake to Dynasty Equity in September, and some will conclude that is a sign they want to avoid big transfers and look for value instead. That may be true, but there is definitely room to invest while staying within profit and sustainability rules (PSR) given the club has basically operated at breakeven in the past few seasons.

They might need that room, too. There is a ton of uncertainty in this squad, starting with the three players who become free agents in less than a year: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Salah and Van Dijk -- given their service to the club -- will likely be given plenty of latitude and the power to make their own decisions. Alexander-Arnold is more intriguing, given the other two are well into their 30s. He's just 25, he has had his ups and downs, he's the local kid made good and optics matter. And yet, for him to be most effective, the system has to cater to him.

Defensive midfield is also a major question mark, and while there's plenty of depth in some roles, there's far less in others. And, of course, any decision has to be made with Slot's preferences and style of play in mind. He shares some of Klopp's outlook on football, but there are also significant differences.

Editor's note: This is the third in this year's series, Keep or Dump, over the coming weeks on which players to keep, extend and move on from for all the top clubs in the Premier League and Europe. Find the Man City version here and the Arsenal version here.

KEEP/DUMP GROUND RULES

Remember: This is our assessment of what we think the club should do, player for player, with the squad at their disposal. It's not what we think they will actually do, though sometimes the two will align. That said, we take into account what we know of the club, coaching staff and player preferences, as well as their financial situation and any other factors that we think will impact personnel moves.

Where we disagree, or where we think our rationale is worth explaining, we've noted below.

GOALKEEPERS

Alisson (31 years old, contract expires in 2027)

Verdict: Keep

RIO FERDINAND HAS NAMED 12 PLAYERS HE CONSIDERS AS WORLD-CLASS AS A CONTROVERSIAL JUDE BELLINGHAM CLAIM WAS MADE

 

PA Wire

Since retiring from professional football, former Manchester United defender Ferdinand has been working as a pundit, often appearing on TNT Sports’ coverage.

On Wednesday night, Ferdinand was tasked with naming a list of world-class players.

The 12 players were - Ederson, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, Harry Kane, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland.

However, fellow pundit and former Arsenal man Martin Keown questioned whether Bellingham can be considered as world-class.

He said: “I think Bellingham is one I question. He’s in amazing form, what he’s doing at Real Madrid right now, but we look at Saka.

“Saka’s been the England Player of the Year. Bellingham hasn’t got a look in. Maybe Rio is being a bit mischievous with Arsenal fans.”

Ferdinand then explained: “They’ve actually got that list a little bit wrong, because Bellingham was on the list just below that on his own, edging into there. I think the thing that lets him not be on that list, for me right now, is just time. He will be there – he’s in world-class form. You just need that time – and that’s where I see Saka.

“Saka’s got that world-class potential, he just hasn’t been exposed to the knockout stages of the Champions League – the longevity is the difference. If you look at that list, you can see they’ve played in the top, most prestigious games and they’ve produced in those moments. And they’ve all done ridiculous things over a long period of time.”

Ferdinand received criticism from Arsenal fans after claiming Saka is not world-class, he said: “Not yet. Listen, I think Saka’s been unreal. I actually think he needs a bit of a rest, so many games for a young kid.

“But I think, it’s almost like what is world-class? He hasn’t done it in the Champions League, has he? I’m talking in the nitty-gritty stages. Saka’s top, don’t get me wrong. He’s not world-class yet.”

Marcus Chan

JURGEN KLOPP ON WORLD CLASS ALISSON