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Liverpool Injuries: Slot Faces Goalkeeper Uncertainty Before Old Trafford Test
Liverpool arrive at another defining weekend with familiar questions circling. The fixture is Manchester United away, the venue is Old Trafford, and the uncertainty sits where calm is usually expected, in goal.
Arne Slot has confirmed that Alisson Becker has yet to return to full Liverpool training before Sunday’s Premier League meeting with United. The Brazilian has been absent since the Champions League last-16 second-leg win over Galatasaray on March 18, with a minor muscle issue keeping him out of seven straight matches.
For Liverpool, injuries have become more than a medical bulletin. They have shaped selection, altered rhythm and tested depth at the sharpest stage of the season.
Alisson Wait Continues
Alisson remains close, although not close enough for certainty. Slot’s update was careful, measured and revealing.
“Ali hasn’t trained with us yet,” Slot said in the pre-match press conference on Friday morning.
“Very close to training with us, so I have to hear today from the medical staff if he is able to train today or tomorrow, or otherwise the start of next week.
“He is very close, but we, of course, also do not want to take any risks because that is never what you do with a player and that’s also not what we do.”
That final line matters. Liverpool need Alisson, yet they need him properly fit even more. A rushed return at this point would carry obvious risk, particularly with the run-in still to come.
Goalkeeping Depth Tested
In Alisson’s absence, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman have shared responsibility. Woodman started the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace last weekend, stepping in after Mamardashvili suffered a knee issue in the Merseyside derby victory over Everton.
That leaves Liverpool facing the possibility of travelling to Old Trafford without their first-choice goalkeeper and with doubts around the wider goalkeeping picture. For a match that can turn on moments, crosses, rebounds and nerve, that is no small detail.
Salah Blow Confirmed
Mohamed Salah will miss the United game after picking up a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace. Slot’s update offered reassurance for the longer term, even if Sunday comes too soon.
“He is always working incredibly hard during the season when he is fit and when he is injured to get back as soon as possible,” Slot added.
Photo: IMAGO
“Usually he is back earlier fit than other players. He has a minor injury and we expect and need him back for the final part of the season, but not for Sunday.
“It is a big relief that his injury is minor and he is able to play for us and at the World Cup. If a player deserves a big send off then it is Mo.”
Old Trafford Stakes Rise
Liverpool injuries have left Slot balancing urgency with caution. Alisson is nearing a return, Salah is expected back before the season ends, and the manager’s language suggests preservation rather than panic.
Still, Old Trafford rarely waits for perfect conditions. Liverpool must find control, resilience and clarity without two of their most influential figures. In games like these, absences can become explanations. Slot will want them to become evidence of a squad still capable of carrying the weight.
