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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Mark Wakefield

Liverpool media round-up: popular former Red suffers major injury as Brendan Rodgers chat revealed

Liverpool already have one trophy in the cabinet after winning the Carabao Cup.

The Reds are still battling in three other competitions, with an unprecedented quadruple still not impossible.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are battling with Manchester City for the Premier League title, and are looking to win the Champions League and FA Cup.

Here, we take a look at what the national media is saying about Liverpool on Tuesday, March 8.

READ MORE: Full Liverpool squad available to face Inter Milan as three players return

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Owen makes bold prediction over Mohamed Salah contract at Liverpool

Ex-Liverpool star suffers serious injury - Mark Jones, via The Mirror

“Former Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno faces an extended spell on the sidelines after the Villarreal man confirmed he had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee.

“Moreno, who joined the La Liga club after being part the Reds squad which won the Champions League in 2019, suffered the injury in Saturday's defeat against Osasuna.

“‘Medical tests carried out on Alberto Moreno have confirmed that he has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee," said Villarreal in a statement on Monday.

“‘The Andalusian footballer picked up the injury in the last La Liga match against Osasuna at El Sadar on Saturday. The player will be operated on in the coming days by Doctor Ramon Cugat.

"’Get well soon Alberto!’"

Trent Alexander-Arnold inspiring next generation - Peter Crouch column for Mail Online

“Nobody wanted to be given the No 2 shirt growing up, did they? It was effectively a slight on your ability, only one up from being stuck in goal.

“And let me tell you, attitudes towards full backs were not much more improved once I made it into professional dressing rooms.

“They had one job: keep your winger quiet. Do not get roasted by that winger. That was pretty much it. Someone steady, unassuming. The role was to receive possession from the centre half, and they only had a couple of passes to hit.

“One down the channel or the little ball inside to a more creative midfielder. No room for flamboyance thanks, leave that to those of us at the other end of the pitch.

“But here we are, in an age where kids dream of becoming Trent Alexander-Arnold. Or Joao Cancelo. Or Reece James. Or Andrew Robertson. The defenders who can run games with panache, a style rarely seen before, and children want to emulate them.”

Fabinho reflects on Panenka penalty vs Chelsea - Paul Joyce, via The Times

“It is 12 months since Liverpool suffered a sixth successive home defeat, one that left confidence sapped and Jürgen Klopp’s tenure at its lowest ebb.

“Fast forward to the present, and they are still contemplating how Fabinho had the gumption to take a Panenka — a dinked penalty named after the Czech Antonín Panenka — in the tense shoot-out with Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final that helped to seal the first of what could be a historic quadruple.

“‘The day before, I tried to do a Panenka,” the Brazil midfielder explained. “‘It was just me and Luis Díaz, with no goalkeeper in the goal.

“‘I told him, ‘tomorrow if it goes to pens, I will shoot it like this.’ He didn’t believe me. But when I was walking to the box to take the penalty, it was in my mind to shoot a Panenka. It worked.

“‘When you shoot a penalty like this, you know that if you miss, when you come back to the dressing room everyone will kill you.’”

The Brendan Rodgers chat that made Jordan Henderson ‘cry’ - Harry Latham-Coyle, via The Independent

“Jordan Henderson has praised the role that Brendan Rodgers played in his development into the Liverpool captain.

“The midfielder was close to leaving the club in 2012 after just a single season at Anfield.

“A deal with Fulham had been agreed, but Henderson was not keen on a move to London and vowed to stay and fight for his place.

“Recalling the moment that he was told by Rodgers of the potential transfer, Henderson revealed he was “devastated”.

“But his then manager’s offer to help develop aspects of the midfielder’s game proved crucial and helped set Henderson on his way to becoming an eventual leader of Liverpool.

“‘I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Henderson said on

.

‘It was just before we played Hearts at Anfield. I had a conversation with Brendan [Rodgers] in the hotel the day of the game, and to be fair to Brendan, he gave me the option, it was more the club that was willing to let me go.

“‘Brendan said ‘listen, it is down to you. You are not going to be starting as much as you would like but I will try to help you improve on what you need to improve on. You’re still young and if you do that then maybe you’ll get more game time’.

“‘I basically went back to my room, cried a little bit and was devastated, really. It wasn’t really an option for me to leave because I hadn’t been at the club very long and I had worked extremely hard to get there. I wasn’t just going to leave.’”

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