Chelsea have been handed a potential Champions League qualification boost as top-five rivals Liverpool suffer a significant injury blow ahead of their crucial Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Liverpool’s Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker has been ruled out of the match due to a fresh niggling injury concern. The issue, described as a minor muscle problem, follows recent troubles that saw him miss the Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat to Galatasaray. Although Alisson returned for the second leg and a recent 1-1 Premier League draw against Tottenham, the club has deemed it too risky for him to feature this weekend.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to start in goal for the Reds, as he did in the earlier European tie against Galatasaray.
This comes as part of a broader injury headache for Arne Slot’s side in their fight for a top-five finish — and likely Champions League football next season. Liverpool are one of four clubs locked in a tight battle for the remaining spots behind Manchester City and Arsenal, with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Aston Villa occupying the other positions. Teams like Brentford, Everton, and Newcastle United remain in realistic contention.
Further compounding Liverpool’s woes, star forward Mohamed Salah requested to be substituted during the recent match against Galatasaray and has since been confirmed unavailable for the Brighton clash. Slot described the injury as unusual for the Egyptian, who takes exceptional care of his body and has a history of quick recoveries.
Slot said of Salah: “Unusual [he is injured], I think you expect the outcome so he is not available for tomorrow. Good thing for Liverpool is we go to international break, bad news for Egypt, he can’t go there. We hope with what Mo has shown in the past he can recover faster than other players. He takes such good care of his body, he can be back earlier than others as history has shown. Only two weeks until we go again.”
On defender Joe Gomez, Slot added: “Joe wasn’t able to come in, we tried to postpone it as often we could [against Gala], maybe a miracle can happen I told him if needed him in extra time. He might be — might be — available tomorrow but not to start.”
Injuries could prove decisive in determining which team ultimately misses out on Champions League qualification, and Liverpool’s recent circumstances appear to have shifted unfavorably.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also been hit hard by injuries lately, despite positive returns such as Estevao Willian and Levi Colwill rejoining team training at Cobham. Manager Liam Rosenior has confirmed fresh setbacks for several players.
Filip Jorgensen underwent a minor procedure (related to a groin issue) and will be sidelined for a number of weeks. Reece James has a hamstring concern that Rosenior described as “not serious,” with further monitoring planned after the international break. Trevoh Chalobah was stretchered off against Paris Saint-Germain and now faces around six weeks out (an improvement on initial fears). Jamie Gittens remains unavailable due to a hamstring injury, potentially with a recent setback.
Malo Gusto missed the Champions League second-leg defeat to PSG due to illness but is expected to return for Chelsea’s upcoming visit to Everton this weekend.
With both sides navigating injury challenges in this intense race, Liverpool’s absences — particularly Alisson and Salah for such a key fixture — could provide Chelsea with a timely advantage as the season enters its decisive phase.