The Times and The Daily Mail have recently reported that Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is set to miss several matches due to an injury to his groin. It is believed that the Reds are now facing an anxious wait to find out about the extent of the English midfielder’s injury that he sustained in the 2-0 derby defeat at the hands of Everton last weekend.
The Merseyside giants are also resigned to the fact that Henderson is unlikely to return in time for the UEFA Champions League last 16 second-leg clash versus Red Bull Leipzig on March 10 (via The Daily Mail) with growing fears that he could also miss England’s World Cup qualifiers at the end of next month.
Henderson’s Valuable Role At Anfield This Season
Not having Henderson at the heart of the Liverpool defence over the next few weeks will be a bitter pill to swallow for Jurgen Klopp, who has already lost some of his first-team stars to injury this season. The 30-year-old has done well to fill in as a makeshift centre-back for the Reds in recent months.
Henderson has netted one goal and provided one assist in 28 matches for the Merseysiders this term across all competitions. The 56-time England international has been consistent with his all-around contributions as he is averaging 1.1 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.2 clearances, 0.7 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.4 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season. He has usually been excellent when distributing possession out from the back after completing 87.3% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
What Does The Liverpool Skipper Offer On The Field?
Henderson has a wide range of passes in his locker and is not shy of playing a long pass to one of his teammates up top when they are making runs in behind the opposition backline. He has a good football IQ that allows him to position himself ideally to make a clearance.
The England international has also shown great hunger to win the ball back for his side but needs to add a few more goals to his game. What makes Henderson such a valuable member of Klopp’s first-team is his leadership qualities to get the best out of his teammates on the field.
Henderson Facing A Spell On The Sidelines: Huge Blow For Klopp?
Losing Henderson to another injury will be a massive blow for the Reds and their top-four ambitions in the Premier League this season. Having Fabinho back in the coming weeks could ease Klopp’s pain of losing his captain. Still, the Brazilian talent is not as vocal or as creative when compared to Henderson, which could make life difficult for the Merseyside outfit in the remainder of this season.
