Gerrard had
fluid drained from the ankle at a Liverpool hospital yesterday and the club are
now awaiting to gauge the effect of that procedure.
There are
fears, however, that the injury will force Gerrard out for a prolonged spell.
Confirmation
of the recovery time is likely to arrive tomorrow, but there was a grim mood at
Anfield as the captain received treatment.
Gerrard is
understood to be distraught that what seemed to be an innocuous cut on his
ankle, sustained in training last week, has developed into a potentially more
serious problem.
The 31
year-old Liverpool stalwart has
only recently returned to Premier
League action after a six month absence due to an unrelated groin
problem, and he was just regaining his full match fitness. He has endured a
nightmarish few months, and is believed to be devastated at the prospect of a
further prolonged absence.
This latest
setback means Gerrard is certain to miss England's forthcoming friendlies with Spain and Sweden on Nov 12
and 15, games which manager Fabio Capello is using to assess his options for
Euro 2012.
Liverpool
were already eager for Gerrard to be used sparingly by the Italian due to his
long absence from the previous injury, but Capello will now know there is no
possibility the player will be available for selection.
That will be
a source of immense frustration to Gerrard, who has not appeared for his
country since the friendly defeat by France last November, but it is the
injury’s impact on the player himself and Liverpool’s quest to regain a
Champions League place which will be of greater concern for his club.
Much of the
stress will be caused by the bewilderment about how and why the injury
deteriorated so badly in the 24 hours before Liverpool’s 2-0 win at The
Hawthorns.
Gerrard
travelled with the rest of the Liverpool squad to the Midlands on Friday.
He was
already in some discomfort due to the knock he sustained on the ankle, but it
was anticipated it would heal quickly and he would be fit to face Roy Hodgson’s
side.
Instead, it
got worse and on Saturday morning it was clear he would not be fit for
selection and Gerrard returned to Merseyside for treatment.
The latest
setback has come in the midst of key period of the season.
Liverpool
play Swansea in the Premier League next weekend and have high-profile fixtures
with Chelsea and Manchester City following the international break, as well as
a Carling Cup tie at Stamford Bridge.
Manager
Kenny Dalglish is as concerned as Gerrard to establish the full extent of the
damage.
He had hoped
on Saturday it would only be a minor knock and the player would be fit within a
week.
“Steven has
got an infection in his ankle. He was in our minds for the game, it just flared
up,” explained Dalglish.
“It’s
nothing to do with any injuries before, it’s an infection.
"I
suppose it’s like having an abscess on your mouth.
"We can
be more accurate next week than we can be just now.”
Any
optimistic assessment of a swift return has certainly evaporated over the last
24 hours, however, and yesterday Gerrard was photographed leaving hospital on
crutches.
By his own
admission, it has been one of the most physically and emotionally stressful
times of Gerrard’s career since he underwent groin surgery before the end of
last season.
That
operation cured a long-standing muscle injury which had forced Gerrard to
consistently undergo pain killing injections in order to play.
His
rehabilitation was further complicated by an infection which did not clear up
properly, delaying his return this season by three months.
Gerrard said
at the time he feared he may never return after that setback.
“There were
times when I was as low as I’ve ever been as a footballer,” Gerrard said
recently.
“I think
it’s only natural that you have doubts and different things do cross your mind
from time to time.”
Gerrard has
made just five appearances this season, and marked his first start with a goal
against Manchester United earlier this month.
He thought
his luck had changed and he could look ahead to a successful campaign alongside
Dalglish’s new signings, but he has barely been able to forge an on-field
relationship with the recent acquisitions.
Indeed,
Gerrard, Luis Suárez and Andy Carroll still have not started a fixture in the
same line-up.
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