Liverpool star will not play against Chelsea and Arsenal this month after major injury blow

Liverpool have been handed a huge injury blow ahead of a run of crucial games, in which they play both Chelsea and Arsenal. Number one goalkeeper Alisson Becker is now set to be out until the next international break after sustaining a hamstring injury.

The Brazilian shot stopper will now be out in at least November and will be expected to miss Premier League matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton and Aston Villa as well as two Champions League games against RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. The Reds will also be facing Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

Becker, 32, was substituted in the second half of Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday. The Reds’ number two keeper Caoimhin Kelleher was unavailable through injury meaning 23-year-old Vitezslav Jaros made his Premier League debut and was able to keep a clean sheet to provide Arne Slot with another three points.

Liverpool are currently sitting top of the Premier League with six wins from their opening seven matches and will hope that the loss of Becker does not prove too detrimental as they prepare to welcome Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea on Sunday 20 October.

The Blues have already enjoyed a squad boost of their own this week with the news that Nicolas Jackson has escaped punishment despite playing a part in the brawl that ensued between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest on Sunday. The Senegalese striker will therefore be available to head up to Anfield where he will now aim to fire the ball past Irish goalkeeper Kelleher.

Arsenal will then host the Reds on October 27, after Liverpool’s away clash against RB Leipzig on October 23, with the Gunners praying frontman Kai Havertz has recovered from his knee problems after the forward pulled out of Germany’s Nations League fixtures against Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Netherlands.

Jurrien Timber, Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko will also seek to make their return to the pitch after the international break while exact timelines of Martin Odegaard and Kieran Tierney’s returns are not yet known.

With such competitive clashes coming up, here are all the matches Alisson Becker could miss out on for Liverpool ahead of the next international break:

• October 20: Chelsea (Home) - Premier League
• October 23: RB Leipzig (Away) - Champions League
• October 27: Arsenal (Away) - Premier League
• October 30: Brighton (Away) - Carabao Cup
• November 2: Brighton (Home) - Premier League
• November 5: Bayer Leverkusen (Home) - Champions League
• November 9: Aston Villa (Home) - Premier League