Since forcing his way back into Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers plans, Reds midfielder Lucas has been a massive reason the Anfield outfit have found themselves more stable at the back with the Brazilians ability to not only break up play, but cover for defenders that may have been pulled out of position, a major boon to their cause.
After missing out on the 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the midweek FA Cup replay, the 26-year old was restored to the starting eleven for the scoreless encounter with Everton, but he was forced off early in the first half prompting fears that he’s facing yet another spell on the sidelines. “We’ll just have to assess it,” said the Northern Irishman in his post-match interview. “He had a slight problem with his adductor – that’s why he missed the last game [at Bolton]” he continued before going on to confirm that the Brazilian will have a scan before Tottenham Hotspur visit Anfield on Tuesday. “He felt it again there, so we’ll see what the scan says on that.”
Spurs, who sit four points ahead of Liverpool in the table and are coming off of a morale boosting win in the North London Derby at the weekend, are very much in the race for a top-four finish this year after their own slow start to the season. While there are concerns that an injury to Lucas will upset the fragile balance in the Reds set-up, Joe Allen put in a decent showing against the Toffee’s at the weekend and he believes that should the Brazilian be unable to take part that he’ll be a good fit in a side that has suffered only one defeat in their last 13-outings.
“When you are on the bench you always know there’s that chance that someone might pick up an injury and you need to come on. From a personal point of view, it was great to be involved in such a big game. But at the same time you feel gutted for your team-mate who has come off” the Welshman told the Liverpool ECHO following the match. “But my season has been broken up by minor injuries and each time it takes you a little while to get back to the level you want to be at. It’s been frustrating but hopefully I can stay fit now and help us finish the season strongly. I’m confident that if I stay fit and get myself in this team I can help and show what I can do.”
