Jordan Henderson is set to miss out on Liverpool’s upcoming league clash with Leicester City after sustaining a back injury, as shared by Jurgen Klopp in his latest pre-match presser (via liverpoolfc.com).
Though a significant loss in the middle of the park for the Reds, it does provide some measure of hope to Harvey Elliott with regard to the possibility of a first start since the 3-0 victory at Elland Road in September (what would be his fifth top-flight appearance this term).
The 18-year-old enjoyed a superb return to the pitch in the Merseysiders FA Cup Fourth Round win against Cardiff City, with the teenager producing a wondrous half-volley goal to the sheer delight of the Kop end.
The notion of our No.67 starting a game so soon after coming back from a major injury will, understandably, invite scoffs from parts of the fanbase.
Klopp isn’t known for rushing back stars to the first-team, regardless of how important a role they play.
That being said, having already got minutes under his belt in a behind closed doors game against Wrexham in addition to the second-half minutes in the FA Cup, we’re hardly talking about a player that’s just got back in team training.
As the start of the season proved, we certainly can’t rule out such a move from the German if he deems Elliott to be ready for a bigger chunk of minutes on Thursday, which may very well mean that the experience of James Milner is also called upon to balance out the midfield.