Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been dealt his first major injury blow ahead of their clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday after losing a key member of his squad.
Midfielder Harvey Elliott is facing spell on sidelines after suffering a fractured foot and could be sidelined for around six to eight weeks.
Elliott, 21, is expected to be out of action until late October and won’t be available at least until the end of the next international break, according to The Times.
Elliott was forced to pull out of the England Under-21 squad last week after experiencing discomfort during training. Now it appears the injury is worse than first thought after a scan revealed a fracture.
While he isnot the first player to sustain an injury under Slot’s management during his three-month reign, the impact of losing a rotational player at a crucial stage of the season will be felt by the Dutchman.
The youngster has managed only seven minutes so far in the current campaign, coming on as a late substitute in Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Brentford at Anfield.
But he was the first-choice back-up for Dominik Szoboszlai in the No.10 role if the Hungarian needed a rest and would have been in a prime position to enjoy more minutes as the fixture schedule gets more and more hectic in the coming weeks.
Slot may be forced to reconsider his options and potentially deploy Federico Chiesa in the role if Liverpool need to rotate, as the Reds begin to manage their congested schedule.
It coincides with a period in which Liverpool will play seven matches in three weeks, starting with Saturday’s home game against Forest at Anfield, raising the prospect of Slot rotating more often in order to cope with that schedule.
Liverpool then travel to Italy to face AC Milan in the revamped Champions League format on Tuesday, before another home match against Bournemouth.
Elliott had been looking to kickstart his season under the new boss after gaining the reputation of being a Liverpool ‘super sub’ under Jurgen Klopp, so the injury will come as a disappointing blow to him and Slot.
However, the Reds boss can be consoled by the fact Curtis Jones is expected to be fit after missing the past two games with a muscle problem.
