If the last international break was calamitous for Liverpool, this one is shaping up to be no better with defender Dejan Lovren suffering an abdominal injury while training with Croatia.
The 25-year old, who was one of three Southampton players to trade the South Coast for Merseyside over the summer, has been a key part of Reds boss Brendan Rodgers back-line this season; considering the Anfield outfits defensive record, that’s not really something to brag about, but we digress. Lovren was set to play in Croatia’s Euro-2016 qualifiers against Bulgaria on Friday and Azerbaijan on Monday before returning to Liverpool ahead of their Premier League match with Queens Park Rangers, but he’s now been given a one way express pass back to Melwood after withdrawing from the squad.
“During training on Wednesday Lovren felt pain in the abdominal wall. Igor Boric (a specialist) at St Catherine (Hospital) showed there was a tear and he will not be ready for performances in Sofia and Osijek,” read a statement on the Croatian Football Federation’s official website. Isn’t that grand?
With Mamadou Sakho sidelined with a slight strain, an injury that’s borderline suspicious considering his reaction to not being selected for the match day squad to face Everton, Rodgers could be faced with a real problem at the back and could be forced to call on Kolo Toure to fill in should Lovren’s injury be serious. The Reds return to league action in ten days time — hopefully without any further casualties to report.
