Liverpool’s Second Choice Keeper Adrian Gets Injured in a Bizarre Incident

Published 08/17/2019, 4:01 AM EDT

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Premier League club, Liverpool could be in a spot of trouble regarding their goalkeeping situation. Following Alisson Becker’s calf injury, back-up keeper Adrian also picked up an injury. However, the Spaniard’s injury was the result of a bizarre incident with a clumsy fan.

The goalie joined the Reds from West Ham United, barely two weeks ago. However, he came good for Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to win the UEFA Super Cup.

Unfortunately, the troubles began as the team ran onto the pitch to celebrate the win. As it turned out, a supporter ran from the stands and tripped, accidentally kicking Adrian’s ankle. Sadly, this incident will definitely give Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp a selection headache.

“A supporter jumped over something, was chased by some security guys, slipped and kicked his [Adrian’s] ankle. Crazy,” Klopp revealed in a press conference Friday.

To make matters worse, Liverpool will face Southampton in the English Premier League on Saturday. However, Adrian’s injury and the absence of Alisson will put a damper on Liverpool’s bid for a 19th domestic title.

Klopp confirmed that Adrian’s ankle was swollen and a decision on his participation will be made closer to kickoff.

Liverpool’s primary man behind the sticks, Alisson Becker sustained a calf injury in the team’s opening day victory over Norwich.

“There is no doubt about how much we love our fans, but if they all could stop doing that — it’s not funny,” Klopp added.

“If one person cannot stop himself, then the people around should do it.”

via Imago

Ahead of the Southampton match, If Adrian is unfit, Klopp’s only options will be 35-year-old Andy Lonergan or 20-year-old Caoimhin Kelleher. However, chances of the latter playing is very slim, considering that he has only just graduated from the club’s academy.

Meanwhile, Lonergan is yet to play a competitive game for the Reds, though he is the more realistic option. The good news is that he has plenty of experience, playing for a host of teams in the lower divisions of English football.

Lonergan arrived at Anfield this summer in the wake of both Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet departing. Karius is currently playing at Besiktas, while Mignolet is at Club Brugge. In addition to that, another Another loanee, Kamil Grabara is at Huddersfield Town.

Liverpool were the least active of the big Premier League teams, with Adrian among the few to be picked in the transfer market. The only question is, will Liverpool regret not pursuing more players during this window?

Regardless of the injury, the Spaniard was still delighted with helping the team win the UEFA Super Cup. Speaking to Marca in an interview, he said, “It’s been a crazy week and winning the Super Cup is a dream come true. I couldn’t have written a better script. Nobody could have imagined that only a year ago I was training alone with Pedro Illanes [goalkeeping coach] at Pilas. Destiny has blessed me with this chance, and I had to make the most of it.”

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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