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Liverpool supporters have become all too familiar with these scenes over the years.
The relief of seeing Alisson Becker pull off another one-on-one save, this time denying Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen on Tuesday, was quickly replaced by a familiar sense of dread. The sight of Alisson immediately signalling for medical attention has become an increasingly common occurrence for a goalkeeper whose last two seasons have been marred by injuries.
In fact, it was almost exactly a year ago when the Brazilian shot-stopper pulled up at Crystal Palace with a hamstring issue, resulting in him missing 12 matches. Liverpool fans will be hoping that his latest setback won't sideline him for as long, although head coach Arne Slot didn't offer much optimism when he immediately ruled Alisson out of Saturday's challenging Premier League game against Chelsea.
It's telling that out of the 20 times Liverpool have faced the London side since Alisson joined the Reds in the summer of 2020, he's missed six due to injury or illness.
He hasn't played more than 35 games in a season since the 2022/23 campaign, and only three times in his previous seven seasons has the goalkeeper made more than 42 appearances for a team that averages 56 matches a season during that time.
While the League Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League have typically not been his arenas, Adrian and later Caoimhin Kelleher reaped the benefits with extended stints in the team that led them to secure Premier League winners' medals in 2020 and 2025, respectively.
Now, it's Giorgi Mamardashvili's turn, the Georgian international who is set to make his Premier League debut at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Mamardashvili has already sampled English soccer with a solid performance in the League Cup victory over Southampton at Anfield last midweek, and was scarcely called upon during his substitute appearance in Istanbul as Liverpool pressed without any significant intent for an equalizer.
However, Chelsea will present a different challenge, especially considering Liverpool's concerning habit of conceding big opportunities this season, which has ultimately caught up with the team over the past week.
But Mamardashvili is no stranger to high-pressure matches, having faced both Real Madrid and Barcelona seven times and Atletico Madrid six times during his four-year stint at Valencia, as well as representing Georgia in last year's European Championships.
With 34 La Liga appearances last season and regular preseason outings for Liverpool under his belt, there should be no concerns about the 25-year-old being ready for a potentially extended run in goal.
Neither will the fixtures prove straightforward. Following the upcoming international break, Liverpool's next batch of matches includes hosting Manchester United and Aston Villa while travelling to Brentford and Manchester City in the Premier League, alongside a Champions League journey to Eintracht Frankfurt and a tantalising Anfield encounter with Real Madrid.
Should Alisson continue his absence for the League Cup encounter with Crystal Palace in a month's time, there's a possibility that third-choice Freddie Woodman could be deployed between the posts, given Slot's methodology last season when, with Alisson sidelined and Kelleher as first choice, Vitezslav Jaros was granted a debut start in the 3-2 triumph at Brighton in the corresponding round.
Mamardashvili will be challenged to match the influence of Kelleher, who, across 67 appearances, boasted a victory rate of nearly 72 percent and suffered defeat on merely 11 occasions.
During his 25 Premier League outings, the Republic of Ireland international emerged victorious 17 times, recording six stalemates and just two losses, though the latter arrived in his final Liverpool appearance at Fulham in April.
There ought to be no concerns regarding Mamardashvili's mentality, however. Prior to his switch from Valencia earlier this summer, he declared: "I will fight for the starting goalkeeper position, even if the current goalkeeper does not leave the team."
The moment has now arrived. Liverpool will trust its Georgian custodian is prepared for his forthcoming test.
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