Liverpool midfielder Luca Stephenson has been loaned to Barrow after suffering a serious head injury.
Stephenson made the most of his loan spell at League Two side Barrow, with the 20-year-old making his 19th appearance in the promotion clash with Wrexham on New Year’s Day.
However, the replacement of midfielder David Worrall after a long spell on the sidelines due to a clash of heads made things difficult.
Worrall was sent off with 11 minutes to play but play resumed just 10 minutes later with Wrexham scoring three goals in first-half stoppage time to erase Barrow’s early lead.
Stephenson was taken off five minutes into the second half with a head injury and the teenager was carried off the pitch by medical staff.
The game was twice abandoned but the two sides ran out 4-1 winners, with Wrexham moving four points clear of Barrow in the automatic promotion places.
Injury update.
We can confirm that David Worrall is currently undergoing tests in hospital but is conscious and talking.
Luca Stephenson is also speaking, so no need to go to the hospital.
Fortunately, Barrow shared an update shortly after going full-time, explaining that Stevenson was “at work, so I didn’t have to go to the hospital.”Worrall required hospital treatment but was confirmed to be “conscious and talking” and was later released from hospital.
Ryan Reynolds, the Welsh club’s co-chairman, tweeted that he remembered a “terrible few minutes” and wished Worrell and Stevenson well.Stevenson is likely to miss Saturday’s game against Tranmere due to concussion protocol, but could return to Sutton United on January 13.
That rules out a reunion with Liverpool Academy team-mate James Norris, who produced a Man of the Match display on his second league debut on Monday.
Norris spent most of his time with the side on loan at Tranmere after being substituted three minutes before half-time on his debut in September. But a change of manager from Ian Dawes to Nigel Adkins marked a change in the left-back’s fortunes in the 4-2 win over Notts County on New Year’s Day.
Liverpool have recalled four players from loan clubs this month, with Fabio Carvalho, Owen Beck, Reece Williams and James Balazizi returning.
