A glimmer of hope amid a pitch-black run of injuries
Very often in football, a player’s stock shoots up the more they don’t play. Diogo Jota is one of those players. He was very good before his injury, but many Liverpool fans are now hoping he can instantly revive their attack and save their season.
Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has provided a positive injury update on three players ahead of their league encounter with Sheffield United, on Sunday night.
On Friday, it was confirmed thar Reds captain Jordan Henderson has undergone surgery on a groin injury which will rule him out for between six to eight weeks, further deepening Liverpool’s injury crisis.
Henderson has been one of Klopp’s mainstays throughout the season, often stepping in and performing exceptionally well at centre-back after injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and then, Joel Matip.
The England international pulled up with a groin injury during last weekend’s Merseyside derby loss at Anfield to Everton, and has now had surgery to correct the problem.
However, there was better news as Fabinho, James Milner and Diogo Jota are all set for full training with the senior squad. Jota has already trained twice with the first team as has looked ‘very good’ while both Milner and Fabinho are in with them on Saturday morning for a light session.
.@_fabinhotavares and @JamesMilner are set to follow @DiogoJota18 by resuming team training ahead of our visit to @SheffieldUnited.
All the latest team news ahead of #SHULIV 👇
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 27, 2021
Jota had spearheaded much of Liverpool’s good play before being ruled out, with Fabinho and Milner both going well and filling in gaps before they were ruled out.
Liverpool’s defeat to the Toffees at Anfield was their first to their bitter rivals at Anfield in more than two decades, and extended their losing run at home in the league to four matches, their longest losing run since 1923.
Having started the season in decent form, injuries combined with a massive dip in form have left Liverpool almost certainly out of the title race – barring an inexplicable Manchester City collapse – and now focused entirely on qualifying for the Champions League next season.
While injuries are obviously part and parcel of the game, the extent and severity of those suffered by Liverpool players have left supporters to lament their bad luck after a season in which they had looked set to embark on domestic domination.
The injury to their captain is unlikely to assuage that feeling.
