Daily Mail

World Cup despair for Lallana

- By DOMINIC KING

JURGEN KLOPP’S words were suitably sombre. What should have been an afternoon of untempered joy had been ruined in one innocuous moment. Adam Lallana, a midfielder whom Klopp adores, had been sent on in the 65th minute to try to secure a crucial Liverpool win, but less than five minutes later he was surrounded by medical staff and a stretcher was lying by his side. Klopp’s angst was obvious as he saw a disconsola­te Lallana trying to explain to Liverpool’s medical staff what he had done. But he was not the only manager to have deep anxieties about the state of the stricken 29-year-old. Gareth Southgate, England’s head coach, is a huge admirer of Lallana and chose him for the last round of internatio­nals even though his playing time for Liverpool had been limited in 2018. As soon as he knew Lallana was fit, Southgate wanted him back in his squad. Southgate will have viewed this latest setback, then, as darkly as Klopp. There is no question that Southgate had a key role in mind for Lallana at the World Cup. He is so well regarded by all the managers he has played for because it doesn’t matter whether he starts a game or comes off the bench, he has the intelligen­ce, skill and energy to make an immediate difference. As it stands, though, Lallana’s dreams of being in Southgate’s 23-man squad for Russia are in the balance. He has suffered a serious injury to his hamstring which will be scanned in the next 24 hours. Lallana missed the first four months of the season with a ruptured left thigh muscle. Now forced to use crutches, he is said to be inconsolab­le. ‘He is our player, our mate, our boy,’ said Klopp. ‘It is not good.’ Not for Lallana, not for Klopp — and not for Southgate.

 ?? ICELEB TV ?? Hamstrung: Lallana on his return to Liverpool
ICELEB TV Hamstrung: Lallana on his return to Liverpool

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom