Liverpool play Chelsea this weekend, while they host Man United in a few weeks

Liverpool fans went into Tuesday night’s Champions League game in Istanbul with hope in their hearts. After the painful late defeat to Crystal Palace in the Premier League just days earlier, they wanted a reaction, they wanted to see their team fight back, they wanted to see Liverpool show the mentality of champions. Instead, what they got was another night of frustration, another evening where luck refused to turn, and another chapter in a growing crisis that suddenly feels heavier than anyone expected at this stage of the season. Galatasaray were the opponents, and the Turkish giants made life as difficult as possible inside their intimidating home, Rams Park. The match was decided by just one moment – a penalty coolly slotted home by Victor Osimhen in the 15th minute – but for Liverpool it was not just about the scoreline. It was about the performance, the missed chances, and above all, the nightmare of losing two of their most important players to injury: Alisson Becker, the wall in goal, and Hugo Ekitike, the young forward who was only just beginning to find his feet in England.

For Arne Slot, the pressure has started to build. He came in with the impossible task of following Jürgen Klopp, a man who had become a legend at Anfield. The start of the season had been mixed but still hopeful, with Liverpool winning games even when they did not play particularly well. But football has a way of exposing cracks, and over the last four days those cracks have turned into something much bigger. First Crystal Palace created chance after chance and stole the points in stoppage time. Then, against Galatasaray, the Reds never truly looked in control, never found their rhythm, and on top of that, saw two pillars of their team collapse in pain. It is the sort of week that can change the mood of a season.q

Alisson’s injury was perhaps the most terrifying moment of the night for Liverpool fans. The Brazilian is not just another player; he is the safety net, the calm presence at the back, the man who has saved Liverpool countless times with world-class saves. When he sprinted back during one attack and suddenly went to the floor clutching his leg, alarm bells rang. Slot admitted after the game that when a Liverpool player stays down, it almost always means trouble. Alisson could not continue. He walked off slowly, face tight with frustration, and everyone watching knew this was serious.

Slot’s words after the game only confirmed the worst fears. He said there was “99.9%” chance Alisson would miss the next game against Chelsea and likely many more. The way he explained it told the whole story: when Alisson stays down, it is never something light. It looks like a hamstring injury, and Liverpool know those can take weeks to heal.

If losing Alisson wasn’t enough, minutes later another blow came. Hugo Ekitike, the young striker signed with so much expectation, pulled up when stretching for the ball. At first it seemed minor, but soon he too was off the pitch. He tried to keep playing, but his body refused. He admitted after the game that it didn’t feel too bad at the time, but that’s often the way with hamstrings – they trick you, they let you walk, but they don’t let you sprint or shoot. He too could be out for weeks, maybe longer.

The double injury changed everything about how Liverpool now look at the coming weeks. For years, Alisson has been the ever-present, the unbeatable giant between the sticks. Now his absence means Giorgi Mamardashvili, the summer signing from Valencia, will have to step up. Fans know he is talented, but replacing Alisson is a task no goalkeeper would envy. Every mistake will be compared to what Alisson might have done. Every goal conceded will be judged more harshly. For Ekitike, the blow is even more personal. He had only just started to show glimpses of what he could bring. After his bizarre red card earlier in the season, this was his chance to rebuild trust, to become a part of Liverpool’s attack alongside Isak and Salah. Now, he faces the nightmare of watching from the sidelines just when he needed rhythm the most.

Injury expert @physioscout on social media added more detail to the situation. Reviewing footage of the game, he predicted that Alisson’s injury could range from a grade 1 hamstring strain to a grade 3 tear. The difference is massive. A minor strain might keep him out for two weeks. A severe tear could mean over two months out. For Ekitike, the hope is that it is just hamstring tightness, something that might only require a week or two of rest. But like with Alisson, the fear is that it could be worse.

The problem with hamstrings is that they are unpredictable. Players often come back too soon and risk re-injury. Liverpool know this too well. They will have to be careful, especially with Alisson, because rushing him back could mean disaster. For Slot, it is now a game of balancing risk and reward. Does he gamble on quick returns, or does he trust his squad depth and wait?

The timing of these injuries could not be worse. The next game is against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, always one of the hardest fixtures of the season. Liverpool cannot afford to be without their best goalkeeper, but now they will be. They also cannot afford to lose another striker, but they may have to go into the game with Isak as the only real option.

Beyond Chelsea, the schedule only gets tougher. Champions League group matches, Premier League battles, domestic cups – the games will not stop coming. Every week without Alisson will feel like a mountain to climb. Every week without Ekitike will increase the pressure on the others in attack.

What makes this situation even more painful for Liverpool fans is the contrast with last season. Under Klopp, Liverpool had found a way to combine resilience with flair. They lifted the Premier League title, and everything felt stable. Now, under Slot, the team feels fragile. Carragher has already pointed out that the balance is wrong, that defensively they look exposed. And when your goalkeeper is missing, those defensive issues become even more dangerous.

The Galatasaray game itself summed up Liverpool’s problems. They had possession, they had moments of promise, but they lacked the sharpness and control needed in Europe. Galatasaray did not need many chances; they just needed one. Osimhen, a striker Liverpool once dreamed of signing, made no mistake from the penalty spot. After that, the Turkish crowd roared, and Liverpool could not find a way back. Salah was quiet, Wirtz again looked lost, and the midfield could not control the tempo. The final whistle was met with relief by the home fans and despair by the travelling Reds.

Football has a cruel way of piling problems on top of each other. A narrow loss can be forgiven. An off night can be excused. But add in injuries to key players, questions about the manager, criticism from legends like Carragher, and suddenly it feels like a storm is forming. For Slot, this is his first real crisis. How he handles it will define not just the next few weeks, but possibly his whole time at Liverpool

Liverpool fans will now pin their hopes on Mamardashvili to deliver in goal. They will hope Isak can carry the attack, and that maybe Ekitike’s injury is not as bad as feared. But deep down, they know the road ahead looks difficult. They know every team will now smell weakness. And they know that without Alisson, they lose not just a goalkeeper, but a leader, a calmness, a guarantee.

The next month will test everything about Slot’s Liverpool: the tactics, the squad depth, the mentality. Can they fight through this? Can they rediscover defensive solidity? Or will this season begin to unravel before it has even truly begun?

One thing is clear: the defeat to Galatasaray was not just about three points lost. It was about the shock of seeing Alisson limp off. It was about the sadness of watching Ekitike pull up. It was about the sudden realization that Liverpool’s path this season is going to be much harder than anyone thought.

And so, as fans wait for the official scan results, as experts debate the severity of the injuries, as Slot prepares his team for Chelsea, there is a cloud over Anfield. It is not panic yet, but it is fear. Fear of what comes next. Fear of how long their stars will be missing. Fear that this might just be the start of a nightmare run.

Because in football, momentum is everything. And right now, Liverpool’s momentum has been shattered in the cruelest way possible.