Jürgen Klopp confirmed that the procedure was carried out on October 25, and the rehabilitation period is expected to last around three months (via BBC Sport). In terms of a timeline, it remains the most serious injury to hit Liverpool so far this season.
Across the Premier League, injuries are becoming increasingly frequent. There have already been 196 since the start of the season, a 15 per cent increase compared with the past four campaigns, as expert Ben Dinnery told BBC Sport. This revelation has inevitably intensified fears over player welfare, and right now, it looks like things are only going to get worse. Next season, teams will play two more matches in the first phase of UEFA competitions with the introduction of a new ‘Swiss model’. The sides who finish between ninth and 24th in the overall 36-team league table will then have to play an extra knockout round to even reach the round of 16. The traditional December to February break will be no more, and finalists could play as many as 17 games in the tournament.
Meanwhile, FIFA has introduced an expanded 32-team Club World Cup from 2025 that will be held every four years and feature 12 European teams. Held in the summer, it could significantly extend the season for elite players.
The game is headed in a concerning direction and nothing is really being done to check it. There are no signs, for instance, of the international match calendar being trimmed to compensate for the intensifying club schedule. Instead, more teams have been added to the European Championships, Africa Cup of Nations, CONCACAF Gold Cup and AFC Asian Cup in recent years, and the World Cup will feature 48 countries from 2026. Quite simply, more matches mean more money, and so any steps back towards moderation from here will see revenues fall. One of the only meaningful countermeasures that we have seen is the introduction of five substitutes. This isn’t enough in and of itself to avert the crisis in player welfare, but does at least mitigate the problem by allowing for more rest within games.
During last month’s international break, Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson dislocated his shoulder while playing for Scotland in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Spain. When he returned to Liverpool, it was decided that the best option was for him to undergo surgery.
