Arne Slot has revealed that Alisson‘s return from his latest injury was managed in order to give him the best chance of staying fit for the long term.
Playing his first game since October 5, Alisson‘s excellent display against Girona served to remind us just how much of an asset he is to Liverpool.
As Slot said after the match, he is the “best in the world” and the Reds need to do all in their power to keep him fit.
Asked if Liverpool will see a real benefit from having the Brazilian back, Slot replied: “Hopefully.
“Hopefully, the amount of time he needed and we thought he needed to get him back on his best possible level also helped us for the long term, in that not only he is there for a few weeks now.
“But it is something that has to be shown in the upcoming weeks and months that he will stay available.”
Alisson has already missed at least 12 matches through injury this season, after muscle problems also kept him out of over 15 matches in the 2023/24 campaign.
Slot added: “He worked really hard together with our performance and medical staff to get where he is now and, hopefully, he doesn’t get the same amount of work every game he plays (as against Girona), but if he does then he showed that he is able of doing that in a real good way for us.”
Alisson was statistically FotMob‘s highest-rated player with 8.3 out of 10, bettering next best Andy Robertson (8/10) after making five saves, four of which were from inside the box.
Alisson’s mini “pre-season”
“It’s great to be back”
Alisson gives thanks to the team behind the scenes following his return from injury ? pic.twitter.com/FZ25Gw8dH8
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) December 10, 2024
The time out Alisson faced, that Slot referred to, acted as somewhat of a “pre-season,” the Brazilian admitted after beating Girona 1-0.
The 32-year-old ‘keeper told TNT Sports: “It was a long wait for me this time. It was an injury after a small injury and then a big one, nine weeks I think I was away.
“[I was] working really hard every day in the gym, when you are injured you work even more than when you are fit.
“When playing, you just play and try to recover as much as you can, but when you are injured you have no excuses. You have to prepare, you have to stop for a while and then prepare and work hard.
“It’s like doing a pre-season again in the middle of the season, but I’m so glad to be back.
“I’m really thankful for the physios, mainly Lee Nobes (head of rehab physiotherapy), the doctors, my personal physio and fitness coach, all those guys who worked together with me this time.”
