Liverpool miss one player more than anyone else - it's too early for major summer transfer

Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Friedel believes Arne Slot has missed Alisson Becker "enormously" since his hamstring injury in late September.

the former Reds keeper admits he has yet to form an opinion on Alisson's stand-in Giorgi Mamardashvili, who has filled during the No.1's recovery over the last six weeks.

Brazil international Alisson pulled up midway through the 1-0 loss at Galatasaray in the Champions League on September 30 and has been absent for the last eight games,

with Slot set to provide an update on the shot-stopper before next week's visit from Nottingham Forest.

In his absence, £29m summer signing Mamardashvili has deputised and former USA international Friedel, who made 25 of his 450 Premier League appearances for the Reds, between 1997 and 2000, thinks Alisson has been a huge absence.

Friedel

“How much do Liverpool miss him? Enormously,"

"Alisson is one of the greats at the club, but I also think they will be missing him off the field when things aren’t going well, to help situations and to make sure players stay in line.

"He is so good in one-v-ones; you can play high lines and know he is there.

“Giorgi Mamardashvili is a very good goalkeeper, but he is very new when it comes to playing in the Premier League. He needs to learn the Premier League, which is normal.”

“He has a big frame and looks very good, but at this moment in time he is not Alisson. That is fine; it doesn’t mean he is not a good goalkeeper.

"It is a little bit unfortunate that at the time Alisson is out, Caoimhin Kelleher has gone, and he would’ve been used to playing at Anfield and used to playing with the Liverpool squad.

“They miss him immensely. They could be missing him more than any other player.”

On Mamardashvili's adaptation to life in the Premier League,

Friedel added: “It is too early to tell for me. I think it is really difficult for goalkeepers to come in right away and be incredible.

“Some do, of course, but the Premier League is different. I remember when Hugo Lloris first came to Tottenham, he was at Lyon, a Champions League club, and he was an important layer for France, winning games.

“But when he came to the Premier League, he found that he had so much to do all the time, whereas when he was playing at Lyon, he didn’t have as much to do.

"You have to get used to that as a goalkeeper; you have to get mentally prepared that if you are playing bottom of the league, you might have to do more.

“You just never know, because it is the Premier League.”

“I think before people can really jump on to how he is, they need to let him have a run of games, to be settled in the country and at the club for a little while. Then we can have our opinions on whether he can be the successor.

“But I don’t think he is one you can jump on the back of right now. Everyone knows Alisson is number one, let him learn his trade. He has many years ahead of him, so let’s see how he develops.”

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