Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson missed their match against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night ahead of Sunday's crunch clash with Manchester City.
The Brazilian goalkeeper has joined the Premier League champions' growing list of absentees after he was ruled out of the match against the Seagulls on Tuesday night.
Understudy goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher started in net for Jurgen Klopp, with the 22-year-old making his ninth senior appearances in all competitions and just his second in the Premier League.
Kelleher has not featured under Klopp for almost a month, with his last outing coming in the 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in the FA Cup. He did deputise for Alisson earlier in the Premier League campaign against Wolves in December.
With Liverpool already heavily depleted in defence, with Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk all long-term absentees, the loss of their number one goalkeeper is a further concern ahead of Sunday's match.
“No (he’s not injured), Ali is ill and not Covid, so that’s possible as well, thank God. He woke up this morning and was not well and we could not bring him," Klopp told BT Sport ahead of the game.
Jordan Henderson and Nat Phillips have started at centre-back in the last two matches for Liverpool, with new signing Ben Davies on the bench against Brighton. Ozan Kabak could also make his debut against City.
Liverpool were forced into the market on transfer deadline day after Matip was ruled out for the season, whilst Klopp admitted there's little chance of Van Dijk playing again this season.
"Whatever happens, I think we have space for Virgil on the Champions League list, I think he was on the Premier League list," Klopp said.
"Nobody told me I had to change something. If we have space in the Champions League then Virgil will be on the list. That is how it is.
"At the moment, nobody, no doctor has told me there's a chance for Virgil to play in this season again.
"I don't want to say it is absolutely impossible, but it is not likely. It's not likely and we don't have to discuss these things really.
"So like I said, if we have space we would put them all on, even when all the medical people tell us there is no chance, we put them all on because we believe in miracles from time to time.
"But if there is no place and we have to consider these things and say their chance is not too big [to be fit] so now we have to make a decision.
"If they are on the list then it is only because we hope for a miracle. That is it."
