With the start of the Premier League season just over the horizon, getting back down to proper football is enough to bring a broad smile to the face even if it comes on the back of Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers confirming that four players will be missing when Southampton visit Anfield on Sunday.
With a trio of players signed from the Saints over the summer, this weekend has the potential to make for some awkward situations, but at least the former captain of the South Coast club won’t be able to line up against them quite yet. “Young Jon Flanagan is still in rehab, but coming along very well,” the Northern Irishman told the press during his first pre-match press conference of the year at Melwood. “Adam Lallana is looking very well. Those two will probably start training with the group in the week beginning with Manchester City.”
“Very well” and “fit enough to play” are two vastly different things, but Rodgers confirmation that his rehabilitation from a knee injury that ruined his pre-season preparations is a positive in itself. Along with an update on the 26-year old, we were also given confirmation that another attacker brought in during the summer won’t be able to make his Premier League bow on Sunday.
There was a big question mark over the fitness of former Benfica winger Lazar Markovic, but that’s now been put beyond a shadow of a doubt — kinda. “Young Markovic is still unavailable this weekend but doing very well” continued the Reds boss who provided no timeline for a return before quickly moving on. “Daniel Agger has had an ongoing injury so he is unavailable; apart from that, everyone else is fine.”
