Jordan Henderson injury: Liverpool captain ruled out for at least five weeks after groin operation

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is facing at least five weeks out after undergoing an operation on a groin injury.

The midfielder, who has been filling in at centre-back of late, was taken off during the weekend defeat to Everton and the club say it was subsequently decided he required “a corrective procedure carried out on the adductor injury.”

While no definitive timescale has been placed on his comeback, Liverpool say he will initially be out until the end of the March international break - meaning at least a five-week lay-off for the No 14.

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During that period, the Anfield club will face five fixtures which Henderson will now miss, with games against Sheffield United, Chelsea, Fulham and Wolves in the Premier League as well as the second leg of the Champions League last-16 against RB Leipzig.

Henderson, who has 58 caps for England, will also sit out the start of the Three Lions’ 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, with Gareth Southgate’s team set to play San Marino, Albania and Poland at the end of March.

TheTimes’ Paul Joyce additionally reports that the injury is likely to keep the Liverpool man out for between “six to eight weeks”, which would further potentially rule the club captain out for at least a further three fixtures.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have been continually hampered by injuries to players this season, with an unusually large proportion of them centred around players in the defensive line.

All three senior centre-backs are out for the season, stand-in Fabinho has been injured recently and Henderson has now joined them.

It means that unless Fabinho is fit to return against Sheffield United on Sunday, Klopp must either hand a debut to new signing Ben Davies or partner Nat Phillips at the back with on-loan Ozan Kabak, who has started each of the last three matches. Forward Diogo Jota and midfielder James Milner have also been sidelined of late through their own injuries.

The Reds are sixth in the league table heading into the weekend, five points off fourth-placed West Ham.

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