Will it be Steven Gerrard or Emre Can to take the place in midfield…
Liverpool will be without midfielder Lucas Leiva for today’s FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, leaving Brendan Rodgers with a huge selection headache just hours before kick-off.
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According to the Liverpool Echo, the Brazilian damaged his thigh during a training session this week and has not been able to recover in time to make the match at Wembley.
Lucas travelled with the rest of the squad to their London base ahead of the game as Rodgers waited anxiously to see if he would be available, but his hopes have ended in disappointment.
It’s a cruel blow for the 28-year-old, who has never played at our national stadium. We of course played there three times during the 2011-12 season but Lucas missed much of that campaign with a ruptured cruciate ligament.
His enforced absence will likely mean that club captain Steven Gerrard is recalled into the midfield to play alongside Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson… although this is not the only potential solution.
Emre Can could also be a candidate. With Martin Skrtel, like Gerrard, returning from suspension for today’s game, he could easily take Can’s place in the back four and allow the German to push further forward.