But Jurgen Klopp fears Diogo Jota could be out for longer as his side count the cost of their 1-1 Premier League draw at champions Manchester City on Saturday.
Alisson is expected to be out for at least the next five games after suffering a hamstring injury during the closing stages at the Etihad. The goalkeeper, who had featured twice for Brazil during the recent international break with the second game coming less than 72 hours before the match, required on-field treatment both during and after the match. Jota, meanwhile, limped off nine minutes into the second half after also sustaining a hamstring problem, and will now be missing for an extended period.
And Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said on Wednesday of the duo: “Both are out. With Ali it’s a bit lesser, so we have to see. Not day by day he cannot play tomorrow or Sunday, probably not the week after but then should be kind of okay.
“Diogo will take a little bit longer, we don’t know exactly how long. We have to see. Is Alisson as bad as we feared? No, but bad enough.” Alisson’s absence means Caoimhin Kelleher is now set to enjoy his longest spell in goal for Liverpool since making his first-team breakthrough more than four years ago.
Kelleher, who has never before played more than three games consecutively for the Reds’ first team, was already expected to feature in Thursday’s Europa League visit of LASK Linz and the final group match at Union Saint-Gilloise in a fortnight, along with the League Cup quarter-final at home to West Ham United on December 20.
But now the 25-year-old Republic of Ireland will be favourite to also start the Premier League games at home to Fulham on Sunday, at Sheffield United next Wednesday and the trip to Crystal Palace three days later. Third-choice goalkeeper Adrian is ineligible for the Europa League, with youngsters Fabian Mrozek and Vitezslav Jaros having instead already been on the bench in the competition this season.
Jota’s absence is a significant blow for Klopp with the Portuguese having netted eight times in 17 appearances this season to be Liverpool’s second-top goalscorer behind Mohamed Salah.
Midfield duo Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic remain on the sidelines along with fellow long-term injury victim Andy Robertson. “We have a lot not available,” added Klopp. “Thiago and Robbo are out and now Diogo and Ali, that’s massive. It would be great if nothing else happens but that’s unlikely. So we really have to share the intensity.”
Liverpool are hopeful Alisson Becker has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines – with the Reds goalkeeper targeting a return for the visit of Manchester United next month.
