Andoni Iraola says his belief in Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is underlined by the fact he tried to previously sign him for Bournemouth.
The Georgia international will make his first appearance of the season when he replaces Alisson for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.
Mamardashvili, who featured 20 times in all competitions in 2025-26, endured a difficult debut campaign at Anfield following a £29million move from Valencia, but Iraola expects him to prove his worth.
“I rate Giorgi very highly,” Iraola told reporters at Monday’s press conference to preview the third round tie.
“I know him from his years in Spain. I told him that we tried to sign him for Bournemouth before I came here. He’s a very good goalkeeper and he will start tomorrow.”
Defender Joe Gomez is also set to make his first appearance of the season after recovering from the muscle injury he suffered during the pre-season tour of America in July.
“Joe is training with the team and I think he’s going to be available for tomorrow,” Iraola confirmed. “It’s a matter of deciding how much he can play and what the best thing to do is.”
The Liverpool head coach is expected to make plenty of changes after fatigue contributed to Saturday’s stalemate with Fulham in the Premier League. Youngsters Lewis Koumas and Trey Nyoni are both in contention to start, along with Wataru Endo, Jeremie Frimpong and Cody Gakpo, who were among the substitutes last weekend.
“Tomorrow we will see players we haven’t seen and I’m looking forward to seeing if they can help us. They haven’t had the chance so far,” he added.
“There are players who are robust, who can play every three days and their performances don’t change much. But there are others where the risk is bigger. I’m in a position where I need to learn who’s in a position to play three games in a row and who needs a rest. I’m really happy with the squad and I value the players we have.”
Liverpool’s midfield struggled against Fulham with Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai winning just three out of 14 ground duels between them. However, Iraola says problems with his side’s pressing contributed to their failure to create chances.
“Compared to the previous games, we won the ball a lot lower on the pitch,” he said. “When this happens you always have to attack against 11 players and it’s more difficult to make the difference.
“In the previous games, we won it a lot higher and were able to make quick transitions, attacking against fewer players and with more space. It’s key that we recover the ball as high as possible.
“It’s not just a matter of the midfielders. It’s something more collective. When we have been good collectively, the midfielders have looked a lot better and have won more balls because we’ve helped them more. When the team plays well, everyone looks smarter and better.”