After his number 10 missed the loss to Newcastle due to an improvement in the knee injury he sustained last month, Brendan Rodgers dismissed speculation that he would be on the market for a new team.
The midfielder James Maddison is “not near to playing,” therefore he is a serious question mark for Leicester City’s trip to Anfield this week.
Maddison’s knee problem, which he originally had at the beginning of November, has gotten worse; it prevented him from playing in City’s 3-0 loss to Newcastle on Boxing Day. At the beginning of England’s World Cup training camp, the issue was resolved, and he was a healthy replacement for their last three games. However, the discomfort has now resurfaced.
There has been a development in the injury though, manager Brendan Rodgers has said, with the pain moving from the back of his knee to the front. While Maddison has been out on the training pitches, there is no timeframe on his return, with the medical staff still working to get to the bottom of the problem.
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That’s a concern for City as they prepare to take on another leading club. Rodgers takes his team to his old club Liverpool on Friday night.
After the 3-0 defeat to Newcastle, Rodgers commented, “Unfortunately, he’s not close to playing.” He was outside on the lawn this morning (Boxing Day), but his knee continues to hurt. In the morning [Tuesday], I’ll meet with the medical staff to find out what the potential timetable is.
His knee is unusual in that area. He’s been experiencing discomfort at the rear of his knee, and now it’s spreading to the front. On that, I need to pay attention to the professionals and medical professionals before proceeding.
“Having problems while he was abroad is what has indirectly led to this. The doctors are only attempting to determine what he is feeling on the front of his knee.
With the January transfer window rapidly approaching and Newcastle still circling, Rodgers rejected the idea that Maddison’s injury came at a favorable moment. The City manager claimed last week that he had received no indication that Maddison will be sold in the coming months and anticipated that he would still be with the team in February.
Rodgers stated, “I want him accessible to help us. “You see, when he’s not playing, the squad lacks talent and originality. That’s all I can think of. I need him to be accessible always.
“I’m usually quite easy about that because when you have good players, they’re always going to be associated with other teams. He just must be accessible and prepared to perform for us.
The second difficulty for City is that Dennis Praet, who has started in place of Maddison on each occasion that he has been out, is now also hurt. After almost a quarter of an hour, the Belgian left the game after taking a hip blow.
It appeared to be a painful one, Rodgers said. I will talk to the medical staff. We’ll need to analyze that since I’ve seen him and he appears to be in pain and is limping.
