Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson must not be risked in Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Genk at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Henderson, 29, according to reports from the Liverpool ECHO was absent from first-team team training on Monday afternoon after the England international featured for 90 minutes against Aston Villa on the weekend.
The former Sunderland midfielder has already clocked up 14 appearances for the Reds this season and has over 1000 minutes of football under his belt. Whilst the Liverpool general is more than capable of playing in every game under Jurgen Klopp it’s a risk that doesn’t need to be taken.
With Manchester City coming to Anfield on Sunday, it’s undoubtedly the European champions biggest match since their Champions League final bout in Madrid back in June. Should they beat the Premier League champions at the weekend, Liverpool would open up a gargantuan nine-point gap at the top of the league table.
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Whilst not the most flamboyant of players in the Red’s armoury, Henderson offers qualities that are almost impossible to match in Klopp’s European conquering squad. The England international scored a vital equaliser against Spurs a week ago and his work rate in the middle of the park allowed Liverpool to complete boss proceedings against the Champions League runners-up back in October.
If fully fit, Henderson would be a guaranteed starter for such a big game against the Red’s biggest title threat. Considering the Liverpool skipper missed training only a day before the clash against Genk tells the story that perhaps he is no to be risked with such an important league encounter just days ahead.
With the likes of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana all impressing in recent cameos over the last few weeks, Liverpool fans will know that their squad is adequate enough to cope with the absence of their European-winning captain come Tuesday night.