Ben Dinnery has explained that fans could look to the example of Everton’s Andre Gomes and the midfielder’s return from injury as offering hope of a mid-season return to the pitch for Harvey Elliott.
The young Englishman has been out of action since suffering a severe ankle injury earlier in the season in a 3-0 victory over Leeds United.
“I think when you see these injuries happen in real-time with different camera angles, it always appears a lot worse than it is,” the injury expert told Football Insider.
“You instantly, and often wrongly, assume that it’s season over. But we have seen good examples in the past, Andre Gomes and the tackle with Son for one.
“People assumed it was season over for him but he was back playing at the back end of February. He only spent three-and-a-half months on the sidelines.
“Liverpool have an unbelievable medical department and they will know that they have to protect the player in the long-term.
“He has a very bright future ahead of him. I’ve followed his rehab very closely and everything he’s been doing is spot on, but let’s not get carried away.
“They need to take their time and make sure there is no corner-cutting. If he comes back this season, great. If not, he has a long career ahead of him.”
Liverpool have since undergone something of an injury crisis in the middle of the park, with the likes of Naby Keita, James Milner and Fabinho all spending differing amounts of time on the sidelines.
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With Gini Wijnaldum having departed in the summer window, concerns are steadily rising over the possibility of a repeat of last year’s injury-enforced collapse.
Fortunately, we’re likely to see our veteran 35-year-old and skipper Jordan Henderson back in action for us in the near future, which bodes well for any potential midfield battle.
Realistically, however, we’re in desperate need of some new blood in midfield to balance the growing experience in the side, as was recently highlighted in The Athletic’s exploration of the peak years of Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
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