The reigning English Premier League champions, Liverpool, have been plagued with injuries and now their club captain and midfielder Jordan Henderson has been ruled out for at least five weeks after undergoing surgery on the groin injury that he inflicted in the Merseyside Derby.
Derby against Everton is always a crucial match for the Reds and Henderson did not even last half an hour after inflicting the injury. The Englishman started the match as a centre-back to provide cover for the other absentees, but now he will find himself sidelined with others like Virgil Van Dijk, Joe Gomez etc. The 30-year-old is likely to be back in April at the earliest.
The club has issued a statement about his injury, mentioning that he will be out for a considerable amount of time after undergoing surgery on the injury that he inflicted during their 0-2 defeat against Everton.
The statement read:
Liverpool can confirm Jordan Henderson has undergone an operation on the injury he sustained during last weekend’s Merseyside derby with Everton. The captain was withdrawn after half-an-hour of the Anfield fixture having picked up a groin issue that left him unable to continue.
Following further assessment with the club’s medical team, Henderson has successfully had a corrective procedure carried out on the adductor injury. He will begin a rehabilitation programme immediately.
No specific timescale is being placed upon his return; however, the 30-year-old is ruled out initially until after the March international break.
Henderson’s recovery will be closely monitored by the club’s medical department and his progression during his rehab work will determine when he is able to resume full training.
Liverpool are reportedly in no mood to rush the midfielder back into action despite being in dire straits. It is understood that Henderson will need time to recover and Klopp has no intention of involving him in his plans until and after the next international break. There will be a proper assessment and then only will he be back in action for Liverpool. It is expected that he will return within six to eight weeks maximum.
The reigning Premier League champions have not been at their best this season, but they have also been hindered due to persistent injury concerns to top players. The Reds are currently at sixth in the league table, five points adrift of the top four, and during this time they lost their leader and versatile midfielder due to injury.
Klopp will hugely miss the service of a player like Henderson, especially with tough fixtures lined up with Sheffield away, Chelsea at home, and also the second leg against RB Leipzig in the Champions League. However, the team will hope that Henderson will be back after the International break. As the season will enter its business end, Liverpool will need their captain.
We all know about Henderson’s courage and determination to play for the badge. In the past, he has played through pain several times, but against Everton there was no chance. This is a massive blow for the Reds. Considering the season they are already having, this makes things even worse. Henderson may not be a perfect centre-back but his distribution, aggression and leadership will be missed.
The Reds need their players to step up and fill that void of leadership in Henderson’s absence. As for the defence, it will either be Nathaniel Philipps or Ben Davies to partner former Schalke centre-back Ozan Kabak. It will be a new centre-back partnership, but such has been the scenario for Liverpool this season. They will hope that Fabinho returns soon as the Brazilian is capable of playing in defence and also in midfield while they will also hope for the return of Milner soon. However, replacing Hendeson will be a tough ask for him as well.
With persistent injury concerns and also form, Liverpool have struggled to get going this season and with the current scenario, a top-four finish for the Reds looks like a distant reality.
