SIGNED: Arne Slot looks set for Liverpool FC. PHOTO: AFP
LIVERPOOL: Caoimhin Kelleher will make his second Premier League start in goal under manager Arne Slot when Liverpool hosts Chelsea on Sunday, following the news that first-choice keeper Alisson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Kelleher, 25, nearly left the club during the close season in search of regular playing time, especially after Liverpool signed Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is set to join from Valencia in 2025.
Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson missed international duty after suffering an injury during a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace earlier this month.
“Alisson is for sure not with us in the upcoming weeks. That’s a blow for him and for us,” Slot told reporters. “Now the good thing is Caoimhin did really well for us in previous years and it shows we have a good replacement.”
Liverpool faces a challenging schedule over the next month, playing four of the league’s current top-six sides. Slot mentioned that several players returned from international duty with minor injuries.
“(Alexis) Mac Allister missed one game, Kostas (Tsimikas) missed out in the first game against England. So I can name them all. We’ve got a few issues going on but let’s wait and see where we are after today,” he said.
Despite being on a six-match winning streak in all competitions, including two Champions League victories, Slot cautioned against judging the team solely on its early form.
“If you only judge your team after a week, that isn’t fair. So it is only fair for you to judge us after this spell of games,” he said.
“The only ones who showed they can do Champions League and Premier League in the last two seasons are Manchester City and Arsenal. The best way to judge us is in four weeks.”
Fourth-placed Chelsea is four points behind Liverpool, with 14 points from seven matches.
“Chelsea, like Manchester United, have a lot of great individuals, which we have to try to control… looking forward to a very interesting game on Sunday,” Slot said.
