Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson suffered a knee injury during Liverpool’s quarter-final encounter against Borussia Dortmund and the latest reports coming out of the Reds’ camp suggest the England international could be out for a minimum of 6-8 weeks.
The midfielder injured his knee while competing with Dortmund’s Aubameyang over a loose ball in last night’s game at the Signal Iduna Park. Results from a scan back in Merseyside revealed a Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) injury for the midfielder who will now have to undergo an intensive period of rehabilitation to be able to return within the said 6-8 weeks. The length of his rehabilitation period effectively rules Henderson out of any further action in the ongoing season for Liverpool, and sees him join the likes of Joe Gomez, Danny Ings, Christian Benteke and Lucas Leiva in the club’s long term injury list.
The club would be without their captain for an important chunk of their Premier League campaign and also the Europa League final on May 18th should they make it there. Henderson’s absence, Can’s suspension and Lucas Leiva’s continued layoff due to injury means Joe Allen will have a massive role to play for Liverpool in the forthcoming weeks. It could also spell more first team opportunities for the likes of youngster Kevin Stewart, who recently made his return from an ankle injury by making an appearance in LFC U-21’s 2-0 win over their Leicester City counterparts. James Milner could play at centre-midfield who’d then give way for Sheyi Ojo or Jordan Ibe to play in the wings for Liverpool.
Roy Hodgson is set to name his 23-man Euro 2016 squad on the 12th of May and with the gaffer reluctant to include players that aren’t match fit, it seems increasingly likely the former Sunderland man could miss out on his flight to France.
Henderson played a key role in England’s qualifying campaign for the competition, starting in 6 of the 10 games that secured his side’s ticket to the Euros. However, with England’s opening game against Russia only nine weeks away, Roy Hodgson will start looking for an alternative to replace the 25 year old in his side.