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Liverpool Goalkeeping Crisis Ahead Of Saints Game

With first choice Alisson already injured the last thing that Jurgen Klopp needed was an injury to his back up keeper, especially when that injury was caused by a fan invading the pitch to join in the Super Cup win celebrations.

Jurgen Klopp is justifiably angry that the injury to his second choice keeper Adrian was caused by a fan running on the pitch in Istanbul to join in the celebrations.

Adrián’s ankle injury could be enough of an issue to keep him from playing against Saints on Saturday. There’s was swelling and an assessment and now the medical team are in waiting mode to discover if it’s okay for the Spanish goalkeeper to continue playing.

"As you can imagine, you have that (the injury), you fly four hours back and it doesn’t help the swelling,” said Klopp.

"So, he couldn’t play directly after we landed in Liverpool but I saw him now and it looks okay. He looks better. But the decision will be made tomorrow. No chance to make it early.”

So things are going wrong for Liverpool ahead of the trip to St Mary's , assuming that the German doesn't take the decision that he doesn't need a keeper to beat Saints and relies on 11 outfield players then if Adrian doesn't pass muster then he could be in trouble.

He has several keepers on the books, the only other two with a squad number though are Daniel Atherton and the other is Caoimhin Kelleher, both have yet to play a game of any sort for the Liverpool first team in a competitive match.

Kelleher was on the bench in Istanbul earlier this week, but he is recovering from a wrist injury that required surgery so is not truly match fit and might not be risked, but Klopp might not have that choice in that he hasn't much option.

Daniel Atherton is next up but has no experience whatsoever, so Klopp might look at who else he has on the books.

Andy Lonergan is the most experienced in that the 35 year old has a long career in the game behind him with a number of clubs, but since leaving Fulham in 2016 he has barely played and been back up most recently at Rochdale.

He joined Liverpool in the summer to provide back up and after the injury to Alisson was given a short term contract and is no favourite should Adrian be injured, certainly he at least has a track record.

My feeling is initially that Liverpool will patch up Adrian and figure that they can risk him, but having said that the problem would be that if he damaged his ankle further then they would have to host Arsenal next weekend with either Lonergan or an untried teenager in goal.

That being the case they might figure that the Saints game would be less stressful for a keeper than the visit of the Gunners next weekend.

Whilst I would not exactly say that Saints fans would celebrate an injury to a player, we will take every bit of help that we can get in this one, jet lag, ankle injuries whatever.

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