Liverpool are reeling right now, having lost the Carabao Cup Final this past weekend to Newcastle 2-1 after being eliminated from the Champions League Round of 16 in heartbreaking fashion to PSG on penalties.
Now, Liverpool may have another worry on their hands, as one of their best players of the season, center midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, has just suffered an injury blow.
Providing further evidence of the insidiously useless nature of the international “breaks”, top footballing insider Fabrizio Romano reports that Gravenberch was forced to leave the Netherlands this week with an injury of unspecified nature. He will return to Liverpool for further evaluation by his club.
Liverpool hold a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League table over Arsenal, so while their title hopes are just about secured, not only is nothing guaranteed in football, but the Reds would also hate to lose their breakout star for any period of time.
Ryan Gravenberch has been a monster this season
Gravenberch has been the best midfielder in the Premier League this season, bar none, and probably the most improved player in the league overall under the guidance of new manager Arne Slot.
The Dutch manager has turned Gravenberch into the all-around monster he appeared to be as an Ajax prospect. Gravenberch is completing nearly 90 percent of his passes with 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, and 2.3 combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game.
Liverpool fans will anxiously await more information regarding the nature of Gravenberch’s injury and any necessary timeline for a return. The Reds will face rivals Everton and European hopefuls Fulham next in the Premier League.
Alongside Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Gravenberch has established himself as one of the three most important outfield players on the Liverpool team this season, and he is easily the most valuable midfielder in the revamped Liverpool midfield right now.
In many ways, Gravenberch has been the missing piece for the Reds becoming the clear best team in the Premier League this season, and if he does have to miss time with an injury of significance, the Reds would have issues in midfield.
But in Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and fellow breakout star Curtis Jones, Liverpool have enough talent in the middle of the park to weather the storm if it’s only a few games.
Right backs Conor Bradley and Trent Alexander-Arnold, as well as center back Joe Gomez (who can play right back) are three ongoing notable injuries on the Liverpool side.
Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.