Liverpool dealt Alisson blow! Goalkeeper forced off injured against Crystal Palace - with debutant Vitezslav Jaros forced to step in in Caoimhin Kelleher's absence

With 79 minutes played at Selhurst Park, Alisson went down with a suspected hamstring injury and was deemed by medical staff unable to continue. But without usual understudy Caoimhin Kelleher on the bench due to illness, third-choice stopper Vitezslav Jaros was handed his Liverpool debut for the closing stages of the game.

It was a worrying sight for Liverpool fans. Alisson missed 15 games for club and country in the second half of last season alone because of a hamstring problem. He was also ruled out for three other Reds games in November and December with muscular issues. Tests will now need to be carried out to assess the severity of this latest setback.

Speaking after the game, Reds captain Virgik van Dijk said: “Alisson's injury doesn't look good. It looks like a hamstring injury which was already bothering him, and from which he recovered."

At the age of 23, it was a first competitive Liverpool outing for Czech Republic international Jaros. He spent the second half of last season on loan with Sturm Graz, impressing with the Austrian club and going to Euro 2024, but his previous appearance in English football was back in October 2022 on loan at Stockport County, then in League Two, before he suffered an injury before recovering and spending the rest of the season on the bench until returning to Liverpool.

It seems likely that Alisson will withdraw from the Brazil squad for the upcoming international break. The timing from Liverpool's perspective has been slightly kind in that sense, with no more club fixtures until Ocober 20. Kelleher, who is due to go away with Republic of Ireland, should be back by then even if Alisson is not. Jaros hasn't been called up by Czech Republic this time and so will have two weeks to work closely with Arne Slot's staff.