Curtis Jones explains unexpected Liverpool absence after ‘never seen before’ injury
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones made a comeback to the starting lineup against Chelsea in the goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. A freakish injury kept Jones out for a prolonged period of time. While there were a lot of expectations from the player, the fact that he just came back from injury meant that he could not go full throttle.
Due to a stress problem in the tibia of his right leg that initially came under the scanner during the Community Shield victory over Manchester City in July, the England Under-21 international only made three starts for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.
The Liverpool Academy graduate recently talked about his injury management after the draw with Chelsea. He mentioned that the club’s medical team is being cautious with his injury, which is why he was not part of the squad during the match against Manchester City, even though he was fit to play.
Speaking to ECHO on his freak injury, here is what Jones had to say:
“It’s a stress response on the bone. It’s still the same thing [from earlier in the season]. It’s kind of just going and coming back again. It’s frustrating, that is what I am saying.”
“It’s something where they have said it is something they have never seen before. It came back three times, so yes, it’s been a hard time. But the staff have handled it well and like I said, there is a specialist on board now so we just follow the plan.”
How good can an injury-free Jones be?
While the 22-year-old has been patient enough to wait and take his chances, the club cannot afford to lose so much time. It has been quite some time since Curtis saw himself integrate into the first team from the academy, and yet is unable to secure for himself a place in the starting XI.
Frustrations for everyone are almost certain, but the player could certainly hope to get back into the good books of the Liverpool faithful, and more importantly, Jurgen Klopp who trusts his youngsters to get results on track. With only a handful of games left in the season, the ball is now in Jones’ court to make the best use of all opportunities that could come his way.
With a number of midfielders almost certain to leave the club in the summer, Jones should ideally grab this opportunity with both hands and prove that he belongs nowhere else but Liverpool.
There has been a lot of talk surrounding the player and his inability to get going and a loan deal which could possibly help him earn more minutes and confidence to play at the highest level and that is also something the Reds could try. But given how we are slim on depth, sending out any available midfielders seems like an extremely unwise decision.
More Liverpool News:
- Liverpool ready to meet demands of transfer target Mason Mount
- Liverpool are no longer interested in signing Youri Tielemans
- Jurgen Klopp shares his verdict on Liverpool FC’s goalless draw to Chelsea
The departure of key midfielders such as Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner could lead to a significant shift in Liverpool’s midfield setup, creating more opportunities for young players like Jones to step up and take on greater responsibilities. Hopefully, he can make the best use of it.
