'He could be one of world's best' - what next for Kelleher?

Alisson suffered a hamstring injury during Liverpool's win over Crystal Palace on 5 October and has not played since.

The Brazilian, 32, has been Liverpool's number one since his £66.8m move from Roma in 2018 - playing 271 times and winning the Champions League and Premier League.

At another club, against another goalkeeper, Kelleher may well have hoped four clean sheets in eight games may have been enough to keep his place.

But Liverpool boss Slot has made it perfectly clear that is not an option.

"Alisson is, and will be, our first goalkeeper if he is fit," Slot said after Liverpool's win over Aston Villa - in which Kelleher made some fantastic saves.

"Caoimhin has done outstanding last season and this season again as well. But the moment Alisson will be fit he will be our first goalkeeper.''

Liverpool legend John Aldridge, writing in a Liverpool Echo column, does not think it should be such a straightforward decision though.

"Caoimhin Kelleher has been magnificent and I actually think Arne Slot has got a really big decision to make in the next few weeks. Once Alisson is fit, I don’t think it’s fair if Kelleher gets demoted to the bench," said the former Republic of Ireland striker.

"I think he’s been absolutely first-class. He’s been faultless with everything he has done in the games, and I think Ali will be looking at it and be embarrassed if he went back in because he's done such a good job."

But Slot's quotes tell us that decision has already been made.

Goalkeepers bloom later than outfield players - but Kelleher, who did not go in goal until he was 14, has not played nearly as much football as he ideally would have.

Not having any loan spells has not helped matters.

He has played 20 league games and 55 matches in total for Liverpool - plus 19 times for the Republic of Ireland.

He only became the Republic of Ireland number one after an injury to Southampton's 22-year-old Gavin Bazunu, who has played 162 matches for four different clubs.

Kelleher is older than incoming Reds keeper Mamardashvili, who has played 178 club matches, and even Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma - who has played 402 times for AC Milan and Paris St-Germain.

Kelleher turns 26 before Liverpool's next game. By that age Joe Hart had played 194 times in the Premier League, with David de Gea, Ian Walker and Aaron Ramsdale all playing more than 150 times.