Ulster doctor Massey reveals world vision in new FIFA role
LIVERPOOL have suffered a major blow after Jurgen Klopp confirmed that goalkeeper Alisson will miss the Champions League last-16 second leg with Atletico Madrid next week, along with today’s Premier League match against Bournemouth.
Klopp revealed that the Brazilian goalkeeper picked up a hip injury in training before Tuesday night’s FA Cup defeat by Chelsea, which forced him to miss the trip to Stamford Bridge, and the news will mean that back-up Adrian will need to deputise for the foreseeable future.
Klopp initially ruled Alisson out of today’s visit of relegation-threatened Bournemouth, but the German later clarified that he will also miss Wednesday’s crucial European return with Atletico as Liverpool attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit against the Spanish side.
“Unfortunately Ali is out,” said Klopp yesterday. “He had a little incident in training before the Chelsea game. We all thought it was nothing and it was clear he would not play anyway, the plan was he was on the bench.
“There, we thought, ‘Come on, we don’t have to take any risks’ so left him out of the squad. (There was a) scan the next day and they found something, so now he is out. We will see next week for sure and then we will see.”
On the specific nature of the injury, the manager added: “Muscle, slight, in the hip region. A small muscle. You (the reporters) could all do your work still but a professional goalkeeper is slightly different. That’s the situation.”
Alisson was not in the Brazil squad named for matches against Bolivia and Peru later this month.
It means Liverpool will again rely on back-up Adrian, whose error led to the first goal in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea.
He stood in for 11 matches when Alisson injured a calf on the opening day of the season, keeping just two clean sheets, and has managed three in 16 appearances in total this season. By comparison, Alisson has 12 clean sheets in 28 matches, including 10 in 20 Premier League games.
And with third-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher also injured, it means 36-year-old Andy Lonergan, a summer free transfer whose last match was a 3-1 League One victory for Rochdale against Scunthorpe last March, will continue on the bench having done so at Stamford Bridge.
The last time Liverpool lost three in four matches was at the end of the 2017-18 season but Klopp insists there is no need to worry about their latest wobble.
“Winning gives you confidence, losing costs you confidence and it is completely normal to start thinking about things,” added the Liverpool boss, who dismissed their poor run of form since the winter break as coincidence.
“It is how you get back on the result track immediately and you can do that not by hoping that things are clicking even better than the game before, but you have to work hard and fight back to get back on track.
“We want to fight and that is what we want to show. It is about making the probability as big as possible that we win the next match.
“We can’t hope for momentum, we have to work for momentum. We never took it for granted before and we don’t think it is impossible to do it again.”
Meanwhile, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe (right) has challenged his side to rise to “probably the ultimate test” at Premier League leaders Liverpool.
The Cherries have found themselves back in the relegation zone following last weekend’s 2-2 home draw with Chelsea, which stretched a winless run to three games.
Liverpool, meanwhile, will be out to respond after a shock 3-0 defeat at Watford ended their long unbeaten league run before a 2-0 loss at Chelsea on Tuesday night saw them exit the FA Cup.
Howe knows just what Bournemouth will be up against at Anfield, where the Reds have not lost a league game in almost three years.
“I have to compliment Jurgen Klopp, his team and his players on what they have achieved to this point. They have been incredible,” Howe said. “They have played to such a high level every week. The way they play, the intensity they play at, it is very difficult to recreate that time after time — but they have.
“They have also come back from losing positions and got valuable points from difficult situations. The character of their group looks strong. “That is why we know this is probably the ultimate test this season. This game for us is probably the hardest one we will face. That is why we have got to certainly rise to it, embrace it and attack it from our perspective.
“We can only control what we do.”
Premier League
ANDY Massey has only just settled into his role as the Director of FIFA’s medical department, but the former Liverpool FC doctor wants to have a major influence on football worldwide.
Ulsterman Massey, who left Anfield to take up his new role earlier this week, will be responsible for improving the health of all who play football, from grassroots to elite level around the world as well as overseeing medical services at FIFA tournaments.
The role will especially focus on preventing injuries on the field of play and promoting football as a healthy leisure activity.
Massey (below) admits he wants to have a big impact on the health and safety of footballers around the globe.
An experienced medical professional in the sporting landscape having worked with Linfield, the IFA and Liverpool, as well as a brief spell with the Belfast Giants, there are few more suited to the role than Massey. And Massey admits he is relishing the chance to get stuck into a project that affects footballers across the world rather than just a small group of players at one club.
“From a medical perspective this position gives an opportunity to effect change,” Massey said.
“The work of a physician at club level focuses on 25 players and offers little chance to effect the broader public. FIFA can have an influence that spans across all continents, looking at football as an activity with potential underlying health benefits.
“With its central position, FIFA can contribute to the improvement of global health performance through the promotion of best practise over the entire football pyramid. I see it as FIFA’s role to keep the sport and players safe, and this can be done with a special focus on education.”
Massey also has practical experience having played in the Irish League for several years as well as working on the medical staff at both club and international level.
The Bangor man is championing scientific research to bring the sport to the next level of player safety.
“I have been a footballer and then team doctor at national team level and at one of the top clubs, but I also have a background as a sports physician at academy level and in women’s football,” explained Massey. “As a scientist I strongly believe in the value of scientific-based research to form the base for the development of policies and practises.
“This is the approach I want to follow at FIFA, knowing FIFA is a global brand with a global reach.”