Giorgi Mamardashvili had his first Merseyside derby appearance cut short after sustaining an injury in trying to prevent Beto from scoring Everton’s equaliser early in the second half.
The 25-year-old has started Liverpool’s last six matches in deputising for the stricken Alisson Becker, but he could now be joining his fellow goalkeeper in the treatment room after being forced off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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It duly meant that Freddie Woodman was summoned from the bench for his first Premier League appearance for LFC, and the manner in which the Georgia international suffered his body blow sums up his club’s hapless season.
In the 54th minute, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall delivered a cross from the left that Beto finished to the net to bring Everton level.
In vainly running out to try and prevent the goal from being scored, Mamardashvili appeared to be caught by both the goalscorer and Andy Robertson, who had gotten back to try and thwart the Toffees striker.
The goalkeeper immediately required treatment on the pitch and left on a stretcher, with Woodman duly taking his place for the remainder of the match.
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The circumstances in which Mamardashvili got injured were indicative of what a truly miserable and soul-destroying season this has been for Liverpool.
That he was accidentally caught by (seemingly) both Beto and Robertson just summed up the extent of the Reds’ misfortune, particularly with Alisson already sidelined, and it turned out that Arne Slot needed to call upon one of the two ‘keepers he had on the bench this afternoon.
It remains to be seen just how seriously the Georgian has been hurt and how long he’ll be out of action for, but it now seems likely that Woodman – whose only appearance for the Reds came in a Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace six months ago – will feature in our upcoming matches.
The 29-year-old has made more than 250 senior career appearances and has experience of Premeir League level, and it now looks as though Liverpool will be reliant on him in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
You can view Beto’s equaliser (and the subsequent injury to Mamardashvili) below, via @SkySportsPL on X: