Liverpool’s troubled goalkeeping situation in spotlight as Newcastle manager fears for fitness of his England defender
Arne Slot insisted he was only focused on the short-term future of the goalkeeper Alisson and that was getting him back into the Liverpool team after injury. The Brazil international has been sidelined for more than a month with a hamstring injury – his second of the season – and this week was linked with Juventus, even though the club have taken the option to extend his expiring deal by 12 months.
Alisson’s unavailability has become more of an issue and that has been thrown into sharp focus with Giorgi Mamardashvili ruled out by a gashed leg sustained in last week’s Merseyside derby victory. It means the 29-year-old third-choice Freddie Woodman is set for his full league debut for the club, having come off the bench against Everton.
“I am only focused on the short-term future and that is getting him back into goal as soon as possible,” said Slot on the future of Alisson, who was close to a return, according to the head coach. “All these rumours that are out there about him and about probably me and about others, we don’t react to. We only react when facts need to be told and that is not the situation at the moment.
“The main focus for Ali is very clear, that is getting back in goal as soon as possible for the club he loves to play for and then he wants to be in goal for the country he loves to play for, that is Brazil. I think that is already the short- and mid-term future.”
Slot played down the number of injuries Alisson had sustained but there is no doubt his fitness record has deteriorated. In his first five seasons at Liverpool he missed a combined 19 Premier League and Champions League games – through either injury or illness – but in just under three campaigns since, he has been sidelined for 37 in both competitions.
“Of course we are looking at these kind of injuries he is having,” added Slot. “A muscle injury, you always try to prevent that with your training programme and schedule but he is not the only one. Football has changed so much. Everywhere you see muscle injuries more and more and we all know why – because of this crazy schedule we have to play.
“Maybe age plays a part but this week we saw one of the youngest players playing at an incredibly high level – Lamine Yamal – getting injured with a muscle injury as well. I would not put that down to age, I would put it more down to the schedule.” PA Media
Eddie Howe is unsure whether Tino Livramento will recover from a thigh problem in time to play again this season. Newcastle’s manager is awaiting the results of a second scan on an injury his England full-back picked up against Bournemouth that could jeopardise the defender’s hopes of being part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
“We will wait and see whether Tino plays again this season,” said Howe, who revealed that Anthony Gordon would miss Saturday’s trip to Arsenal with hip trouble. Although the England winger’s potential World Cup participation is not thought to be in doubt, Gordon’s absence at a time when he is being linked with a summer move to Bayern Munich has raised eyebrows. Howe, though, was adamant it is wrong to question the former Everton player’s commitment to Newcastle. “Anthony Gordon is injured, 100%,” he said. “So it’s a non-question [to query his loyalty].”
After eight defeats in 11 league games, Howe’s job security looks weaker than at any time during his St James’ Park tenure but he insisted he was looking forward to meeting Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian majority owners at a club summit next week. “It’s something that happens regularly, so it’s nothing out of the norm for us,” Howe said. “I always like the chance to talk directly to the owners and to express things from my perspective.”
Howe has challenged his team to win their five remaining fixtures and said he believed a lack of confidence rather than disillusionment with his management was to blame for the slump. “Everyone is committed, we are all feeling the pain at the moment,” he said. “But we’re lacking confidence and, when that happens, you can overthink things and try too hard.”
Howe was asked why he continued to leave two of last summer’s marquee attacking signings, Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, on the bench. “You have to reward players for what they deliver,” said Howe, who is expected to persist with Will Osula as his lone striker at Arsenal. Louise Taylor
Rodri will not play in Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final against Southampton on Saturday. The Spanish midfielder missed City’s victory at Burnley on Wednesday after being forced off late in the previous game against Arsenal with a groin problem. With City chasing the Premier League title, manager Pep Guardiola is unwilling to take a chance on the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner at Wembley.
The issue is the latest in a series of setbacks to have beset the 29-year-old since he suffered a serious knee injury early last season and the focus is on proving his fitness for the trip to Everton on 4 May. Guardiola said: “We don’t want to take a risk. I don’t know yet [for Everton] – hopefully, but we don’t want to take a risk because we could lose him for the next five games.”
The defenders Rúben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are also sidelined but Guardiola is otherwise encouraged by the options available to him.
City are appearing in the last four of the FA Cup for a record-extending eighth straight year and have the chance to reach the final for the fourth year in succession. They will be strong favourites against the Championship side Southampton but Guardiola is taking nothing for granted. He said: “To be able to knock out Fulham and Arsenal speaks for itself. They have good rhythm. We just focus on the game tomorrow, what we have to do with the selection, for the spirit and how we recover the players from these two demanding games. A semi-final is tough.” PA Media
David Moyes has said Everton are worried about Jarrad Branthwaite’s hamstring problems after the defender was ruled out for the rest of the season with the injury he sustained against Liverpool.
Branthwaite’s slim hopes of gatecrashing England’s World Cup squad are also over having been taken off on a stretcher in tears in the 87th minute of the derby defeat. The defender missed the first half of this season with a hamstring problem that eventually required surgery. While the latest setback is to a different area and he does not need an operation, Moyes admits Branthwaite’s record is a concern.
The Everton manager, who expects the centre-half to be fit for the start of next season, said: “Jarrad is feeling much better because he’s realised it isn’t an injury to the same area as the hamstring operation, it’s in a different spot. It’s like a hamstring injury that any player could get when you could be out for six weeks or so. We hope he gets back. You see the shape of him, and speed is a big part of his game, and when you’re getting to that level I think there probably is a bigger chance of getting hamstring injuries. We feel for him because he played really well in the game.
“I hope it’s not [a risk in the future]. I don’t want to say it’s growing pains because it’s far from that, he’s a grown man now, but I think he’s still learning more about himself and what he does. But ultimately he’s had a couple of hamstrings now and we’re worried about it.”
Moyes will take charge of his 750th game in the Premier League when he returns to former club West Ham on Saturday. The Scot said Everton were “bubbling away” with anger over their 100th-minute defeat in the derby but, with Beto missing due to concussion protocols, accepted it would not be easy to vent that frustration against the relegation-threatened Hammers.
“They are fighting for everything,” added Moyes. “West Ham is a really good football club that shouldn’t be going into the Championship, but the Premier League is unforgiving and if you’re not quite at it, you don’t recruit right or spend enough, you can find yourself in that position. Chopping and changing managers doesn’t help either. Clubs need to look at themselves a bit to see if they can do a better job.” Andy Hunter
Nuno Espírito Santo plans a few surprises for David Moyes when the former West Ham manager brings Everton to the London Stadium. The Hammers need a win against their two-time former manager to ensure they stay out of the relegation zone. But Nuno, who has previously managed Wolves, Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, knows the advantages of facing a former club.
“It’s not just another game, basically because we’ve been in these clubs. I speak for myself,” he said. “The advantage is that you know the players. You sometimes know the routines. In this case, David knows the routines and knows the players. So we have to try and make new things happen so we don’t become so predictable. But it’s not just another game. It’s always a special game due to respect and love that you have from former clubs. But you want to win. You want to compete and win.” PA Media
Rangers have complained to the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) after being told they will receive no tickets for the crucial derby at Celtic Park unless they exclude the Union Bears supporters group.
Rangers rejected Celtic’s conditions for handing over tickets for the 10 May encounter, which could have a major say in the Premiership title race. Celtic reacted with “surprise and disappointment” that Rangers did not agree to the stipulations.
The move comes after a number of supporters invaded the pitch from the area housing the Union Bears after Celtic’s Scottish Cup win at Ibrox on 8 March. A Celtic player and member of staff were allegedly assaulted as Rangers fans charged towards the Broomloan Stand after visiting fans spilled on to the pitch to celebrate.
A Rangers statement read: “Celtic informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears. We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board.
“Rangers is fully committed to safety at football matches, and we have been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on 8 March. We have been attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match.
“At a crucial stage of the season, the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance. It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons.
“This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events. It should be a showcase occasion and a chance to rebuild confidence in how matches of this nature are managed.
“We ask the SPFL board to uphold the integrity of the competition, enforce the rules and ensure that the agreement in place between both clubs is honoured.”
A statement from Celtic read: “To be clear, we are ready and willing to make the full allocation as normal available to Rangers, subject to a condition regarding distribution to a particular section.
“Celtic’s priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park, and following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards.
“To our surprise and disappointment Rangers have not agreed to this request. Celtic are ready to engage further with the SPFL and Rangers on this matter.”
An SPFL spokesperson said: “The SPFL board will now appoint a subcommittee to consider Rangers’ request for a determination under SPFL Rule I27.”
That rule dictates that clubs must make provision for a “reasonable number” of visiting fans and allows the SPFL board to determine the number of tickets. PA Media
