Liverpool Afterthought to Start First Premier League Game For The Red On Saturday

Freddie Woodman Set To Make Full Liverpool PL Debut vs Crystal Palace

As if Liverpool’s catastrophic title defence couldn’t get any worse, it appears as though Arne Slot will be without his two best goalkeepers for the foreseeable future, while it looks likely to be the Dutch manager's last stint in the Anfield dugout as well.

Though Reds number one Alisson is close to returning from a knock, backup stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili is a definite absentee, with his nasty-looking knee injury potentially keeping him out until the end of the campaign.

With Alisson unlikely to pass any fitness tests ahead of Liverpool's clash with Crystal Palace tomorrow, it opens the door to summer signing Freddie Woodman to make his full Premier League debut for Liverpool after being subbed on for Mamardashvili in the title holders' last-gasp win over Everton last weekend.

Alisson Becker has a chance of returning for #LIVCRY, with Freddie Woodman in line to deputise as Giorgi Mamardashvili is definitely out:

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 24, 2026

An Unexpected Call-Up

Prior to last weekend, Woodman had only ever taken to the field once for Liverpool, in their dire 3-0 League Cup defeat to this weekend's opponents back in October. Ever since, the 29-year-old Englishman has been restricted to watching on from the sidelines, with his better-known goalkeeping rivals taking priority.

Brought in from Championship side Preston North End on a free transfer in the summer window, it was never Liverpool’s intention to give Woodman more than the occasional cup run. His signing was predominantly made as an effort to comply with the homegrown player laws, and as a player trained in England during his youth days, Woodman fills a valuable niche.

However, with the Reds now suffering from the rare case of multiple goalkeeper injuries, Woodman is likely to be playing from the start of a Premier League game for the first time since the 2021/22 season, when he was contracted to Newcastle and was filling in for both Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka.

Imagine making your Premier League debut and pulling that off like Freddie Woodman… 🥶 pic.twitter.com/sEZRtSvBRs

— No Context Prem (@NoContextEPL) April 23, 2026

Outside of these three top-flight appearances for the Magpies, Woodman’s top-tier experience is limited, and he has mainly been confined to the lower tiers of the EFL, including League Two with Crawley Town and the Championship with both Swansea and Preston. He also boasts experience in the Scottish Premiership, having played single seasons for both Kilmarnock and Aberdeen.

Playing a key role in keeping Preston in the Championship by just a single point last season, Woodman has shown that he has pedigree as a high-quality shot-stopper. The question now is, does that ability in England’s second tier translate to the league that some consider the best in the world?