Giorgi Mamardashvili has taken to social media to deliver an update on his injury situation, after he had to be stretchered off during the second half of Liverpool’s dramatic 2-1 win vs Everton in the Merseyside Derby.
Liverpool really were put through the wringer at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as the 248th instalment of the Merseyside Derby, and the first of its kind at Everton’s brand-new home, didn’t disappoint in entertainment value.
Indeed, the Reds had to show plenty of resolve to collect a last-gasp 2-1 win, with Mohamed Salah’s opener, which is his ninth goal over the years in this hotly-contested affair, cancelled out by Beto’s equaliser.
While the Portuguese attacker wheeled away in celebration, Mamardashvili stayed frozen to the ground, as he suffered an agonising cut after clattering into the Toffees’ number nine and Andy Robertson, during the goal.
Subsequently, the Georgian stopper, who has been filling in for an injury-stricken Alisson, had to be stretchered off, with Freddie Woodman chucked into the action for the latter exchanges, as Liverpool’s forgotten third-choice stopper.
He handled himself competently, but Arne Slot will want the ex-Valencia stopper back as soon as possible, as Liverpool welcome Crystal Palace to Anfield this approaching Saturday, in another big clash in the Premier League.
Slot stated at the full-time whistle that it is “unbelievable” how bad the Reds’ injury luck is at the moment, with Woodman coming into a Premier League contest for the first time since 2021 for the Merseyside giants.
Thankfully, while the Dutchman offered a worrying update at the full-time whistle that Mamardashvili was in hospital, the Reds number 25 has since taken to social media to share a more encouraging message surrounding his condition.
Slot briefly alluded to it at the end of the breathless Merseyside Derby, but Liverpool have had wretched luck with injuries so far this season.
Hugo Ekitike is now out for the remainder of the Premier League campaign and the upcoming World Cup for France, owing to an untimely Achilles tendon rupture, with Alexander Isak also previously a long-term fixture in the treatment room, when breaking his leg against Tottenham Hotspur.
Hopefully, Mamardashvili isn’t out for the foreseeable future to pile on the pain even more, with the reserve keeper, who has been thrust into the first-team spotlight as of late, offering this update on social media on Monday morning.
He stated, when posting to Instagram: “Thank God everything is fine. Thank you all so much for your support and for being by my side. I’ll be back soon. Big win in the derby and 3 points.”
The 37-time Georgia international hasn’t always felt the love of the Anfield masses this season, with his ropey performances, standing in for Alisson, seeing him only keep four clean sheets all campaign long.
But, he definitely felt the outpouring of love after the game, owing to his concerning injury situation, with both Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate responding to his Instagram post with love heart emojis.
New update reveals when Mamardashvili should be back fit
Another social media update, coming from Georgian sources, indicates that the Tbilisi-born stopper will be back training for Slot’s men within three weeks, with the injury-stricken keeper needing stitches for his gaping wound.
While he hasn’t always been the most convincing stopper in the world, since swapping Valencia for Merseyside, losing Mamardashvili for a couple of weeks will be a blow, as Slot will now have to trust Woodman to be his unexpected number one choice for the clash with the Eagles.
Yet, if he can come into the team from the get-go and be as composed as he was in the Merseyside Derby, the in-from-the-cold number 28 would endear himself to the Anfield fanbase even more, versus Oliver Glasner’s visitors.
