Liverpool have been handed a big blow as Alisson Becker flew home from their pre-season tour for a personal matter.
The Reds are currently on their travels in Asia, and their first-choice goalkeeper did not partake in their open training session in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Alisson had made his first appearance of the pre-season campaign in the Premier League champions’ hefty 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Hong Kong, but he will play no further part in this year’s tour as he heads back to Merseyside.
Liverpool take on Yokohama F Marinos at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday, and new deputy Giorgi Mamardashvili, a recent recruit from Valencia, is expected to start between the sticks instead.
Slot has three other goalkeepers to call upon in Alisson’s absence, but none of them - Freddie Woodman, Armin Pecsi and Kornel Misciur - offer much by way of big-game experience.
Alisson is the third player to leave Liverpool’s pre-season camp this summer, with Joe Gomez returning to the UK with an injury to his Achilles last week, and Luis Diaz was granted permission to travel to Germany to finalise his pending move to Bayern Munich.
The game against Yokohama is Liverpool’s final outing in Asia before they return home for a double-header against Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on August 4.
The following week, they take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley before the Premier League’s curtain-raiser against Bournemouth on Friday, August 15.
