Liverpool striker Christian Benteke has been ruled for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury, piling further pressure on under-fire manager Brendan Rodgers. The Belgian was substituted at half-time in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Norwich City at Anfield.
Benteke will now miss the Reds’ clash this Saturday against Aston Villa, the club from which he was bought in the summer for a whopping £32.5 million. According to this report by the Guardian, MRI reports only revealed a strain, but he will still require at least two weeks on the sidelines to recuperate.
This puts him in doubt for Liverpool’s monumental clash against Everton on the 4th of October. Rodgers is already under immense pressure, and a negative result in the Merseyside derby could push him further towards the exit door. News broke earlier today that the club have approached former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to take over from the Northern Irishman at Anfield.
The status quo that had been maintained at the club for the last few seasons needs to go, and the management realise that it will take a top manager at the helm to do that. After finishing 2nd in the 2013/14 campaign, the Reds came 6th last year and seem headed for yet another ordinary season this time around.
Rodgers needs to start winning matches, and quickly. After winning 7 points from a possible 9 at the start of the season, they are now winless in their last 3. Captain Jordan Henderson has been ruled out with a broken foot and now Benteke’s injury has further added to the misery.
The 24 year-old has scored twice since his move to Liverpool, including a spectacular overhead kick in a lossing effort at Old Trafford a couple of weeks ago. He will not be replaced by Danny Ings, who scored his first goal for the club against Norwich.
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