Liverpool’s Henderson out of Fulham clash with ankle injury

England’s Jordan Henderson in action. Photo: Reuters

LONDON: Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson will miss Sunday’s Premier League match at Fulham after failing to shake off an ankle injury, manager Juergen Klopp said on Friday.

Midfielder Henderson went off early in Liverpool’s last-16 second-leg clash at Bayern Munich on Wednesday which Klopp’s side won 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition.

The 28-year-old has been named in the England squad for this month’s European Championship qualifiers.

“With Hendo we know now it’s serious enough to rule him out for the weekend. The international break will be long enough to bring him back,” Klopp told a news conference.

“It was a little one with the ankle. It was the best scan we could get but still not good enough. Not good but OK.”

Fellow midfielder Naby Keita faces a fitness test to be in contention for the clash at 19th-placed Fulham having missed the trip to Bayern.

“With Naby we have to see if he can train today. Checks were positive but we have to see if it stays positive,” Klopp added.

Victory will lift title-chasing Liverpool into top spot with 76 points, two points above champions Manchester City who play Swansea City on Saturday in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Manchester City will have a game in hand but Klopp pointed out that they could face a tough run-in with games against third-placed Tottenham Hotspur and local rivals Manchester United in April.

“When City have a game in hand it’s not that important. We just want to win our game at the weekend. City’s game in hand is against United and that’s not easy but we need to think about winning our games only,” Klopp said.

“We haven’t struggled psychologically with them ahead of us or us ahead of them, it’s being really focused on the football game. Until the end of the season, let’s play football.”

The post Liverpool’s Henderson out of Fulham clash with ankle injury appeared first on The Himalayan Times.