Liverpool have been forced to add 37-year-old goalkeeper Adrian to their Europa League squad after Jurgen Klopp revealed the extent of Alisson‘s injury.
Adrian was initially not included in the Reds’ Europa League squad due to the limits on foreign players, but Joel Matip‘s season-ending injury has seen the Spaniard replace the defender in the updated squad ahead of Thursday’s last-16 tie against Sparta Prague.
Adrian‘s last appearance for Liverpool was in the Community Shield in July 2022 and he has made just two appearances in the last three seasons – the other being against Preston in the League Cup in October 2021.
The former West Ham ‘keeper has been on the bench 15 times this season, when either Alisson or Caoimhin Kelleher have been injured.
News of Alisson‘s addition to the Europa League squad comes after Jurgen Klopp insisted that Alisson‘s season isn’t over – but “it is a proper muscle injury.”
“It is not a short one,” warned Klopp to reporters on Friday. “It is a rather serious one but not a season-ending injury.”
Alisson has already missed five matches and is certain to miss at least another five, having been ruled out to at least after the March international break.
There are a minimum of 10 more games thereafter, with a potential for more if the Reds progress in the FA Cup and Europa League.
Liverpool loaned young goalkeepers Marcelo Pitaluga (St Patrick’s Athletic) and Vitezslav Jaros (Sturm Graz) in January, they appeared on the bench six times between them earlier in the season and would likely have been ahead of Adrian in the pecking order had they remained at the club.
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