Arne Slot reveals Giorgi Mamardashvili sent to hospital as Liverpool stand-in Freddie Woodman praised

Mamardashvili

Arne Slot has revealed Giorgi Mamardashvili was sent to hospital due to the injury that handed Freddie Woodman an unexpected derby debut for Liverpool.

Mamardashvili departed on a stretcher after undergoing extensive treatment on a leg wound having been caught by Beto in the process of the Everton striker equalising Mohamed Salah’s opener at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The goalkeepery, again deputising for the hamstrung Alisson Becker, was replaced by Woodman, who kept a clean sheet as Liverpool secured a dramatic win in the 248th Merseyside derby thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time header.

Should Alisson and Mamardashvili fail to recover, Woodman is now in line for a first Premier League start for Liverpool at home on Saturday to Crystal Palace, against whom he made his Reds debut in the League Cup defeat in October.

Slot said: “Giorgi had to go to hospital (with) a big wound so let's see how he will be

“But Freddie deserves a lot of credit because if you have to come in after conceding the 1-1 and the fans were ready for it (an Everton goal) but he did his job really well.

“He kept his calm in a difficult moment when he was doubting whether to catch the ball, yes or no, but kept his nerves.

“He's worked so hard to have this moment and usually third goalkeepers don't play a lot but in a season like ours,

“I think if you are playing in the under-8s at Liverpool, you should be ready for making your debut because it is unbelievable what is happening to us.”

Liverpool had already lost Hugo Ekitike and Joe Gomez from the team that featured against Paris Saint-Germain last Tuesday, with Slot seeing fit to name only eight players on the bench at Everton, one of whom was Academy goalkeeper Armin Pecsi.

And Slot added: “Is there anything that surprises you when it comes to injuries this season?

“Maybe I already envisaged it because I had two goalkeepers on the bench today, which I normally don't have but, of course, it has everything to do with the availability of all the other positions.

“Freddie did a great job.”

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