Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been presented with a fresh injury headache, after new signings Dejan Lovren and Lazar Markovic, both suffered injuries during the international break.
The defender, who joined in the summer from Southampton, was due to play against Bulgaria and Azerbaijan for Croatia, suffered an abdominal tear in training and was ruled out for the international matches.
As a result of his injury, Rodgers is not left with only two fit defenders – Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure. French defender Mamadou Sakho is still recovering from a hamstring injury and doubts persist whether he will be fit to play in Liverpool’s next Premier League game, away to QPR.
The Reds have had a wretched luck with injuries during international breaks this season, as last time, Daniel Sturridge, Joe Allen and Emre Can got injured whilst on international duty. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was specially angry with how Sturridge was treated and publicly complained that England’s training methods were responsible for the striker’s thigh injury.
Another new signing Lazar Markovic has suffered a suspected muscle tear during Serbia’s 1-1 draw with Armenia on Saturday. The former Benfica forward has struggled to hold down a starting berth and the injury won’t do any good to his development.
It must be frustrating for a manager to see his players returning to training camp with injuries from international duty, but this is something on which Rodgers has no control over. At least, Liverpool camp will relieved to see that Raheem Sterling (despite facing lots of criticism) was given a much-needed-rest by Roy Hodgson after the youngster complained of being tired.
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