Liverpool have been dealt a massive injury blow ahead of their Premier League game against Bournemouth and Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid. Jurgen Klopp confirmed in his press conference that goalkeeper Alisson will miss the games with a muscle injury, paving the way for Adrian to step in.
Alisson Set to Miss Bournemouth and Atletico Madrid Games for Liverpool
Huge Blow to European Hopes
Given Liverpool’s position in the Premier League, there could have been a slight chance of Adrian starting the Bournemouth game anyway. It would have depended on how much Klopp wanted to keep the consistency of the side going, but Alisson’s omission would have made sense if he wanted to avoid the risk of him picking up a knock ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League game. As well, given that the Reds have won their last five games against the Cherries by an aggregate score of 17-0, changes could have been expected.
Liverpool go into the second leg of their round of 16 game 1-0 behind after a poor performance at the Wanda Metropolitano in the first leg. Given how brilliant Liverpool’s attacking has been domestically this season (arguably slightly less so in Europe) it’s easy to forget how big an impact Alisson has had.
The Brazilian has made key saves at key times for the Reds, notably the recent stop against Norwich City that prevented them from dropping points to the league’s bottom side. As well, the Reds have only conceded 20 goals this season, with Alisson being a huge part of that, despite Adrian’s handful of Premier League appearances at the start of the season.
With Alisson set to miss Tuesday’s huge encounter, it could spell the end of Liverpool’s Champions League defence. That said, it’s hard to predict anything with the Reds, particularly given the special relationship they have with the competition. Both Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino missed the 4-0 win over Barcelona last season, signalling that nothing is ever a given with Liverpool.
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