Freddie Woodman is set to make his Liverpool debut next week as part of Arne Slot‘s changes for the Carabao Cup – which will be his first competitive game since March.
Woodman is expected to come in for Giorgi Mamardashvili as part of Slot’s custom of selecting his backup goalkeeper for the domestic cups.
Last season saw Caoimhin Kelleher start six games across the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, while Vitezslav Jaros started once, while already this term it afforded Mamardashvili his official debut.
And with Alisson due to be sidelined until after the November international break it should see summer signing Woodman come in against Crystal Palace.
If that is the case it will be the 28-year-old’s first competitive appearance since Preston’s 2-1 victory over Portsmouth in March.
The stopper’s final campaign at Preston ended early due to an ankle injury, and with his contract allowed to expire he was given the opportunity to join Liverpool on a free transfer.
While his involvement has largely been restricted to the AXA Training Centre and in warmups on matchdays, Alisson‘s absence has seen Woodman promoted to the bench.
A first outing against Palace will be a major test of his credentials, but there will be no concerns among Slot and his staff.
Woodman started against both Fulham and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup last season, while he boasts a wealth of experience over 11 years as a senior professional beginning with his time at Newcastle.
Preston – who struggled overall last season as they finished 20th in the Championship – only conceded 43 goals in Woodman’s 37 league appearances, with the Englishman keeping 13 clean sheets.
They conceded 16 goals in nine games and failed to pick up a single victory in his absence.
How Woodman’s move to Liverpool came about
Speaking to the club’s official website in July, Woodman told the story of how a surprise message from Richard Hughes brought about his move to the Premier League champions.
“Obviously [it was] unbelievable for me personally to sign for this club,” he explained.
“The transition has been lovely, everyone at the club has made me feel welcome, the lads have been brilliant and it’s been nice to come away on tour and get to know everyone.
“I was on holiday with the family and eyeing up my options and got a message from Richard Hughes and it moved from there.
“It moved really quickly and I was absolutely delighted.
“It was a nice moment for me to sign for the club, have my wife and my daughter there and share that moment, and then quickly up to the AXA and quickly getting to know everyone.”
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