Medical expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that Harvey Elliott may return to action in ‘mid to late February’ as the teenager continues to recover from a fracture-dislocation to the ankle.
The 18-year-old hasn’t featured for Liverpool since suffering the injury against Leeds United in back September but Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries website, believes the ex-Fulham star should treat the next few weeks as a ‘mini pre-season programme’.
“Factors outside the injury itself come into the decision-making process when it comes to selection,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams,” he told Football Insider.
“We’re looking at a young player with a massive future. You have one eye on the here-and-now but you also want to protect the player for the long term.
“You need to make sure he’s going to go on and have a happy and successful career, so you don’t want to rush him back.
“He’s been out for around four months. That is pretty good going.
“There may be four to six weeks which you can treat as a mini pre-season programme.
“Then I think mid to late February isn’t out of the realms of possibility.
“That gives him enough opportunity to work with the first team. He will probably play for the under-23s just to give him a chance to be involved.“
Although we may be lacking some creativity at the moment with the injuries to Elliott and Thiago Alcantara, as well as Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita still representing their national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations, the former Fulham man’s return to action certainly shouldn’t be rushed.
He had started three league games in succession at the start of the season and he didn’t look out of place – his sublime passing coupled with his ability to drive at opposition defence’s made him a rather unique player in our side.
He has recently returned to team training alongside the rest of the squad which is a promising sign but the last thing we need is a relapse of the horrific injury – we need to think of the long-term because he has the potential to be a fixture in our side for the next decade or so.