Brazil’s team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar has provided a mixed injury update on Alisson after the Liverpool goalkeeper had to be taken off with a head injury against Colombia on Friday.
Alisson was involved in a sickening collision with former Tottenham Hotspur defender Davison Sanchez, when the Brazilian stopper punched the ball clear but his momentum carried him forward and he painfully collided heads with Sanchez.
After receiving on-field treatment, both players had to be replaced given the severity of the incident. Lasmar revealed Alisson had suffered a suspected concussion but added that ‘everything is normal’.
“Alisson suffered a head injury and was replaced due to a suspected concussion,” said the Brazil doctor, who spoke before manager Dorival Júnior’s press conference. “We will now follow the CBF protocol, and he will undergo the recommended imaging tests, a CT scan and then a diffusion MRI. If all the tests are normal, we will proceed and perform a cognitive test. Then we will evaluate the player.”
“If everything is normal, we will continue to monitor the situation over the next few days. Today, we will do the tests and all the necessary assessments. Alisson is normal, without any complaints. He did not report any fainting or memory loss. He thought he was a little slower. With this complaint, the recommended replacement is the player.”
Liverpool fans will hope Alisson recovers in time for Liverpool’s next game, which comes against Everton on 2 April at Anfield. He is unlikely to be involved when Brazil travels to Argentina on Wednesday.
The five-time world champions beat Colombia 2-1 on Friday to ensure they remain second in the South American World Cup qualifiers. With just two points separating Brazil and sixth-place Colombia, the race to qualify for the tournament in North America could go down to the wire.
Raphinha opened the scoring in Brasilia before Liverpool’s Luis Diaz equalized in the 41st minute. Vinicius Junior’s penalty in the ninth minute of injury-time secured a dramatic win for Brazil.
As for Alisson’s injury, it came on a bad night for the Reds, with Ibrahima Konate suffering a first-half injury in France’s 2-0 defeat to Croatia. The defender was replaced at half-time and it’s unclear if that was due to a knock or for selection reasons. Ryan Gravenberch also dropped out of the Netherlands squad on Wednesday in what is becoming a bruising international break for Arne Slot’s players.
