Things for Liverpool FC are turning from bad to worse. As if getting their Champions League dream next season wasn’t quashed after the humbling at the hands of Arsenal, Brendan Rodgers’s key player Mamadou Sakho will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a hamstring injury, his scans revealed.
The former PSG defender limped out of last Wednesdaya s FA Cup quarter-final replay win over Blackburn. Initial reports suggested the player will be out for two weeks or so but scan results have now revealed the full extent of the injury and Sakho could be ruled out for at least a month with the hamstring problem.
It means Sakho will miss Monday nighta s home clash with Newcastle, the FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa at Wembley and the following league games against West Brom, Hull and QPR. Liverpool would be lucky if he can make his comeback for the trip against Chelsea on May 10.
This means Brendan Rodgers could play the 4-3-3 once again, as he did against Blackburn due to the absence of Martin Skrtel and Emre Can.
a We havena t played 4-3-3 with a single pivot for quite a long time but we went naturally into the system. We played Philippe Coutinho in a slightly different role, off the right but he came down the inside. That gave Jordan Henderson the licence then to go outside. It also gave us the numbers centrally,” said Brendan Rodgers who insisted he will have no problems fielding the same system again.
Glen Johnson was used against Blackburn and could once again feature for Liverpool against Newcastle. Brendan Rodgers hailed the England international and said he still had much to offer.
Meanwhile, the boost for Liverpool is that youngster Jordon Ibe will be able to make a comeback against Newcastle. Ibe will return to the squad after having missed the last six weeks with a knee injury. It is unlikely that he will start, but he is expected to come on at some stage in the game. Jon Flanagan, who has missed this season entirely, is also expected to return to the bench.
Steven Gerrard and Martin Skrtel will serve the last games of their three-match suspensions. Adam Lallana will continue to miss out with injury.
Probable Line-up (4-3-3): Mignolet; Johnson, Can, Lovren, Moreno; Lucas, Henderson, Allen; Coutinho, Sterling, Sturridge