Arne Slot torn on selection dilemma 30 days before Newcastle United vs Liverpool final
Arne Slot has stayed coy on whether backup goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher will start the Carabao Cup final.
The Irishman’s stock has risen in recent seasons despite, for the most part, being Alisson’s understudy. Kelleher started the Carabao Cup finals in 2022 and 2024 - which saw Liverpool defeat Chelsea on both occasions.
Alisson’s niggling hamstring injuries resulted in the 26-year-old enjoying an extended first-team run earlier this season. While the Brazilian played the first leg of Liverpool’s semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur, Kelleher returned to the side for last week’s second leg.
Slot now faces a debate about whether to start Allison against Newcastle United next month or follow Jurgen Klopp’s lead by staying loyal to Kelleher. Not wanting to give his game plan away, the Reds boss deflected questions about the goalkeeping dilemma.
“We never know what the situation is around a final,” told The Guardian. “How fit everyone is, do they need a game, yes or no?” said the Liverpool head coach. “I cannot guarantee anything. I never guarantee anything to players so far in advance and that is not what I am going to do now.
“Almost every time we have played the second goalkeeper in the League Cup. At Brighton, it was Vitos (Jaros) because at that moment Caoimhín was the No. 1 as Alisson was injured.
“The one exception was Tottenham away (in the semi-final first leg) where Alisson was coming back from injury and I felt he needed some extra playing time. Three days later we played the Accrington Stanley game and then three days after that we played Nottingham Forest. I felt it was better for him (Alisson) to play against Tottenham, then have a week’s rest and then play Forest.
“It was more with the idea of being best prepared for the league. Caoimhin was in goal (in the second leg against Tottenham) and he absolutely deserved to be in goal for everything he did this season.”