Liverpool Dealt A Blow As Midfielder Suffers An Injury In Training – Will Miss Champions League Qualifier Against Hoffenheim

Injuries are part and parcel of the game but when they happen at the wrong time, you feel like the world is against you. Liverpool Under-23 midfielder Cameron Brannagan must be feeling the same, as a broken hand ruled him out for a month, potentially affecting his chances of a summer move.

In a training ground incident, Brannagan broke his hand and although he would not require a surgery, physical contact should be avoided for a month – as reported by The Liverpool Echo

Not In Klopp’s Plans

The 21-year-old is not part of Jurgen Klopp’s first-team plans and was left to train with the Under-23s. Though he was included in Liverpool’s squad for the Champions League play-off against Hoffenheim, things remain the same. His inclusion as one of nine locally trained players is only as a contingency plan by the manager and nothing more.

The 2015/16 season saw the youngster burst onto the scenes with impressive performances in cup competitions. That left the manager effusive in his praise and the player was rewarded with a contract until 2018.

However, he couldn’t graduate to the first-team and was loaned out to Fleetwood last season, managing 13 appearances. The Salford-born midfielder has made 9 senior appearances for Liverpool, having made his competitive debut in September 2015. He was overlooked for the entire season of 2016/17.

As he moves into the final year of his contract, it was expected that the club would accept a permanent offer. Hull City, Derby County, and Stoke City were all reported to be interested in the player but this latest injury setback could unsettle those plans. Wigan Athletic too were interested and had a £1million bid rejected last season.

Precarious Situation

There’s never a good time to get injured and for Brannagan, this is really a very bad time to get injured indeed. With the transfer window set to close on August 31, his chances of securing a move away from Liverpool now look to have been seriously affected.

On the positive side, Brannagan will not require a surgery and should be back in action after a month. If he can knuckle himself down and get back to doing his best for the Under-23s, next summer could see the interested clubs come back for him.