Wataru Endo finally returned to team training on Saturday, one day before Liverpool’s final game of the Premier League season.
It has been a frustrating campaign for the Japanese, who has made only 13 appearances for the Reds.
Injury has been Endo‘s biggest issue, with an ankle problem sustained during February’s win over Sunderland effectively ending his season.
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The 33-year-old now has only one year remaining on his Liverpool contract, and having become a bit-part player under Arne Slot, there is perhaps an expectation that he will move on this summer.
However, a report on the inside workings of his injury in Japan suggests that Endo will in fact stay with the Reds for one more year.
Endo hoping to start the season with Liverpool
In a year where Liverpool players lacked fight and gumption, it would have been nice to see Endo on the pitch a little more.
The nature of his injury in February had looked like it may not only end his club season, though, but would put his place in Japan’s World Cup squad in doubt.
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Thankfully, as Number Web report, Endo is now fine, having made a quicker than expected recovery.
The article details how Liverpool’s No. 3 has been doing throughout his injury, going behind the scenes at an important surgical decision over the course of the rehab.
Endo is said to have chosen to put an artificial ligament into his foot rather than a metal plate, which could have positive ramifications down the line.
Had he opted for the plate, the former Stuttgart man would have had to undergo surgery post-World Cup to remove it, and it’s claimed that this would likely have meant him having to sit out for another period ahead of 2026/27.
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Instead, using the artificial ligaments will reportedly mean that Endo does not have to miss ‘the early part of next season,’ with the suggestion being that the Japan captain will still be a Liverpool player at this juncture.
The fact that it is Endo’s final contracted year with the Reds is mentioned, and while nothing can be confirmed at this point, the inference is that the veteran will see out his four-year stay at Anfield instead of moving on this summer.
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