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Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker(Image: Steven Halliwell | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

For a short while, it appeared the curse of the international break had struck Liverpool once again.

And at precisely the wrong time, too.

Alisson Becker was keeping goal for Brazil in their World Cup qualifier against Colombia last week when he suffered a suspected concussion following a nasty clash of heads with former Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez.



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While protocols ruled him out of his country's 4-1 thumping in Argentina a few days later, Alisson instead returned to Merseyside for further medical assessment at the AXA Training Centre before reassuring supporters on social media that he was fine.

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And that thumbs up was the tonic Liverpool required as they appeared to negotiate the final international break of the Premier League season without lasting damage to their players given the knock that forced Ryan Gravenberch out of Holland's UEFA Nations League clash against Spain had been sustained during the League Cup final loss to Newcastle United.

Alisson missed out at Wembley, having long accepted the competition was the domain of understudy Caoimhin Kelleher.

But his performances against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League over the previous fortnight, while ultimately in a losing effort, had underlined the goalkeeper's importance to Liverpool and reinforced his standing as arguably the finest operator in his position in the world.

Now the Brazilian will be available to return to the starting line-up as Liverpool look to complete the job and claim a record-breaking 20th Premier League title.

While sitting out eight games earlier in the season through injury, Alisson has been a key figure in Liverpool standing 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table.

His tally of eight clean sheets in the top flight has already matched his total for last term - during which he missed 10 Premier League games injured - which was his lowest such figure since arriving at Liverpool almost seven years ago.

The Brazilian's total is effectively almost nine having been substituted with only 11 minutes remaining of the 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in early October with the hamstring problem that kept him out for several months.

It seems unlikely Alisson will claim a third Premier League Golden Gloves award - having won outright in 2019 and shared with Manchester City's Ederson in 2022 - with Matz Sels of Nottingham Forest on 12 ahead of Arsenal's David Raya on 11 and both Dean Henderson of Crystal Palace and Everton's Jordan Pickford on nine.

But Alisson has always been about more than shut-outs, such is his presence between the sticks.

The Reds as a whole, however, would perhaps benefit from shoring up matters a little more to make life easier for themselves during the title run-in.

Liverpool collectively have kept 12 clean sheets in the league, the equal most alongside Nottingham Forest.

Half of those, though, came in the first 11 games, with the Reds having had successive league shut-outs only once since September.

In truth, that Arsenal, with 24, are the only team to have conceded fewer times than Liverpool's total of 27 suggests there should be little concern.

Plus the fact no team in the Premier League is allowing on average fewer shots per game on their goal.

But change is coming to the Reds rearguard, regardless of what happens with the futures of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and centre-back Virgil van Dijk, both whom as it stands are due to leave on a free transfer in the summer.

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Alisson will face new competition for his place in the form of Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will arrive in the close season after a £29million deal was agreed with Valencia last year.

Rather than be perturbed, the Brazilian welcomed the decision of Liverpool to start planning for the future while indicating he would consider signing a new contract.

And that Kelleher - who is expected to depart in the forthcoming transfer window - has been unable to dislodge Alisson demonstrates the challenge Mamardashvili now faces.
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