Alisson Becker: What does his injury mean to Liverpool?
By Josh Ricker
For Liverpool, Alisson Becker has been one of their pillars of success in the past year. Losing him to injury in the first game against Norwich is heartbreaking for Liverpool fans. But what does it really mean for the club going forward?
The short answer is that Alisson Becker will be out approximately one-to-two months, and Adrian will take his place in the first team setup. According to CBS Sports, this is the extent of the Brazilian’s injury that took place this past Friday,
"Liverpool fans were holding their breath after superstar goalkeeper Alisson had to come off in the in the 39th minute with a calf strain. The injury took place during a goal kick, and he’s expected to miss 4-8 weeks, according to James Pearce of The Athletic."
The time period is quite extensive, but the injury could have been quite worse. The speculation when the injury occurred was that he ruptured his Achilles, an injury that has hindered athletes like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant in the NBA, and usually sits athletes out for an entire calendar year.
As of right now, the former Roma keeper will miss out on the UEFA Super Cup, about 5-7 Premier League matches, and possibly the first two Champions League match days. It will be a crucial stretch for the Reds as it really could decide their fate in the Premier League and UCL, especially with Manchester City at the top of their game.
On a positive note, Adrian is no rookie. His a well-seasoned veteran of the Premier League and should be able to win Liverpool some games. Will he make as many top class saves as Alisson? Probably not, but he is no Loris Karius either. He has made 125 caps for West Ham and in 35 of those games he has kept a clean sheet, which is a positive statistic for a team usually in the middle of the table.
The goalkeeper swap might also change the way Liverpool play out of the back. Becker is known for his pace of play and strong leg out of the back, but Adrian not so much. He might instead play short and try to get the ball to Virgil van Dijk to hit the long ball instead of doing it himself.
It will be a stressful period for the Anfield faithful, but regardless, they are in safe hands with their newly introduced back up man between the sticks.