Liverpool’s season faced another huge blow after it was revealed that Fernando Torres, Yossi Benayoun, and captain Steven Gerrard will all face a spell on the sidelines through injury.
The bad news just keeps piling on for the Reds, who were dumped out of the FA Cup on Wednesday at Anfield in a replay against Reading. Torres, Benayoun, and Gerrard were all injured during the match.
Torres was taken off in the first half of the match and scans revealed that the Spaniard will need knee surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee. The operation will put him out of commission for about six weeks.
Gerrard strained his hamstring during the match and faces two weeks on the treatment table, while Benayoun sustained a fractured rib and will be sidelined for up to four weeks.
The trio are the standout players in what has become a season-to-forget for Liverpool, and their absence will surely deal a huge blow to the Merseyside outfit as they fight for the coveted fourth place spot in the league and Champions League qualification.
Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez’s future at Anfield is “not on the agenda”, according to Liverpool’s managing director Christian Purslow. Many fans and pundits alike saw the club’s FA Cup exit as the final straw for Benitez.
However, Purslow told BBC Sport that Benitez’s job is not under immediate threat. The Spaniard’s current contract runs until 2014.
The Reds are currently in seventh place in the league, with Manchester City currently occupying fourth place.
Campbell Makes Arsenal Return
Former Arsenal defender Sol Campbell has made his return to Arsenal official after training with the club for some time. This week he agreed a short-term contract that will last until the summer, and he returned to playing in Arsenal’s reserve team match against West Ham on Tuesday.
Campbell’s future had been in limbo after the former England international left League Two side Notts Country in September. He had been training with the club after his departure, and he reportedly turned down offers from Hull City and Newcastle in order to reunite with Arsene Wenger.
“Being out of the game helped revitalize me,” Campbell said.
“I feel really fresh and I have a craving to get the ball. I’ve had time to reflect. Now, I have been given a chance and I’m desperate to play.”
The defender will surely boost Wenger’s defense, an area of the squad which has looked weak at times this season in terms of depth, and his experience in Arsenal’s youthful team will be invaluable.
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