Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is in line to make his Premier League debut when the Reds visit Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.
The champions lost Alisson Becker to a groin injury in Tuesday’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray, and Arne Slot has confirmed that his number one will not be able to face the Club World Cup winners this weekend.
Mamardashvili kept a clean sheet after coming on at RAMS Park, and the Georgia international will now don the gloves in a Premier League game for the first time in the English capital.
Mamardashvili should be protected by the familiar pairing of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk, while Jeremie Frimpong should return to right-back after an unsuccessful trial on the right wing in Turkey.
Slot paired Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones together in midweek, but a refreshed Alexis Mac Allister will surely displace the latter, even if the Argentine’s performances so far this season have not been up to standard.
Speaking of performances not being up to standard, Florian Wirtz has come in for renewed criticism from the likes of Wayne Rooney and Jamie Carragher, and the struggling German could very well be demoted as Dominik Szoboszlai struts his stuff in the number 10 role.
Cody Gakpo and the recalled Mohamed Salah should flank the Hungarian, who will also be helping to feed Alexander Isak, another likely returnee after Hugo Ekitike tweaked a thigh muscle in the loss to Galatasaray.
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Isak
