Roberto Firmino will suffer no long-term damage to his eye after being forced off injured during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Tottenham.
The Brazilian was caught by the hand of Jan Vertonghen whilst racing for the ball during the second half and was immediately replaced by Jordan Henderson.
Liverpool’s no.9 was taken to hospital for further examination as fears arose over his availability for Tuesday night’s Champions League Group Stage opener at home to Paris Saint-Germain.
Medical evaluations concluded that Firmino suffered an abrasion of the eye and will suffer no lasting effects, reports Liverpoolfc.com.
Due to his time spent undergoing check ups, Firmino wasn’t able to travel back to Merseyside at the same time as his teammates.
So, Jan Vertonghen nearly lost his finger in Roberto Firmino’s eye socket. 😵 pic.twitter.com/ytCkF3LQPx
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Up until his exit at Wembley, Firmino had been enjoying his most accomplished performance of the season so far after a relatively slow start by his standards.
The forward was instrumental in Liverpool’s build up play as he persisted to drop deep to collect the ball as a means of unleashing his fellow frontmen behind him.
His display embodied everything that makes him so important to Jurgen Klopp’s setup, from his pressing at the top of the field, to his selflessness to sacrifice his own position on the last man and play the role of creator.
An easy tap-in to make it 2-0 also marked the poacher’s touch and anticipation that so often rewards Liverpool for their explosive attacking style.
To lose him for the midweek clash at Anfield would be a monumental early blow, especially on the back of Saturday’s showing in the capital.