Liverpool suffered a big blow as their skipper – Jordan Henderson suffered a collateral ligament injury in the first leg of their quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund. The box-to-box star was substituted by Joe Allen who played for the entire second half. The injury looked very bad initially and it was speculated that the Liverpool skipper might be out for eight weeks – meaning he might miss the entire season along with the European Championships. However, Jurgen Klopp in a recent press conference mentioned about a possibility of a return for the skipper. This is what he had to say.
“It’s serious but it’s not that serious that there is not hope for us for maybe the last one or two games. It’s also clear there is still hope for the European Championships. For us he is a very important player who has been getting better and better.”
Possible replacements
Liverpool face a challenge at a very crucial stage in their campaign with an injury to their skipper. Henderson had almost cemented his position at the heart of the Liverpool midfield alongside Emre Can. With the former injured, Jurgen Klopp will have to look for options that can play in the center of midfield and try and fill in the shoes of the no. 14. Here is a look at the possibilities.
James Milner
The vice-captain will need to step up to the occasion and if needed will need to play at the center of the midfield which is not his usual position. Milner is known for his tremendous work-rate and in games which involve tough midfield battles, Klopp might just go with the no. 7 in the central position.
Lucas Leiva
The return of Lucas Leiva comes as a big relief to the fans as well as the manager and the timing could not have been any better. Klopp can always try and have Lucas play in the central midfield role or can swap him with Emre Can for the defensive role and the latter can take up at the center.
Joe Allen
Allen has shown a high level of improvement under Jurgen Klopp and has been his second best choice for the midfield. Klopp might consider playing him in the central role as he is known to create those chances and make runs in the attacking positions. Allen can partner with Emre Can and be an ideal backup for Henderson in his absence.
