Talented Liverpool youngster Harvey Elliott suffered a gruesome injury at Elland Road vs Leeds this past weekend. In a seemingly innocuous, but also high-paced clash with Leeds defender Pascal Struijk, Elliott crashed to the ground with his foot bent at an ungodly angle. The immediate aftermath of the injury was so severe that Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, who was first on the scene, had to cover his face with his shirt.
There was a very somber mood on the pitch as players on both sides showed genuine concern for the stricken 18-year-old. Pascal Struijk seemed visibly shaken up and was consoled by countryman Virgil van Dijk on the pitch. He later took to social media to wish Elliot a speedy recovery, saying:
“In today’s game, something happened that I would never wish on anyone! @harveyelliott07, my thoughts are with you,”
A visibly shaken Jurgen Klopp confirmed it was a bad injury, having this to say in his post-match press conference:
“It’s a bad injury. Ankle, I heard it was dislocated. We could put it back. He’s in the hospital. It is a serious injury, definitely for an 18-year-old boy. The red card is not important. Two or three weeks we can play on, Harvey will not.”
The Reds’ chief physio, Chris Morgan, praised the medical staff from the opposition saying on LinkedIn, “Rob Price and his team really treated him as they would one of their own.”
Elliott was rushed to a nearby hospital where he endeared himself to the footballing public by giving his playing shirt to a young Liverpool fan in the same ward. Upon being discharged, he posted on social media, thanking fans for all the messages of support, saying he was overwhelmed by all the love.
The gruesome injury, originally feared to be a horrifically broken leg, turned out to be a severely dislocated ankle. An incredibly rare injury to see on the football pitch, Chris Morgan credited the medical team’s preparedness to the ATMMIF courses spearheaded by the FA.
Morgan and club doctor Jim Moxon were first on the scene at Elland Road giving the youngster oxygen and gas, before putting his ankle back in place.
A move that has turned out to be incredibly important regarding the time Elliott will be out for.
There is no official announcement on the amount of time he will miss, but some experts suggest he could be back on the pitch before the end of the season.
It is an enormous blow for the Reds as the youngster has featured in every game so far this season and has given a new dynamic to Liverpool’s play, after the departure of Gini Wijnaldum. Elliott will have surgery this week sometime, but there is no date set as of yet.
Reports suggest it could be as soon as Tuesday. Liverpool is back in action this week, facing AC Milan in their first Champions League clash of the new season. Previews coming soon.