Liverpool captain jordan henderson out for 'eight weeks' with injury

Liverpool have confirmed that captain Jordan Henderson will miss at least the club's next five matches across all competitions after undergoing surgery on a groin problem. It has been

claimed by The Times that he could miss between up to eight weeks of the campaign with his latest issue. The Reds midfielder was forced off in last weekend's Merseyside derby defeat to

Everton at Anfield with a muscle issue and went to visit a specialist in London this week. And the reigning Premier League champions, who will lose their crown to Manchester City in the

coming months, have confirmed the 30-year-old had to go under the knife due to the problem. Following reports Henderson could be absent for 12 weeks, Liverpool have refused to name an exact

return date for the England international, though he is not expected to be sidelined for quite that long. England boss Gareth Southgate will keep a keen eye on the player's recovery

with the Euros coming up this summer and Henderson will miss the Three Lions' March matches against San Marino, Albania and Poland in 2022 World Cup qualifying. Before then, the

Liverpool captain has also definitely been ruled out of Premier League games against Sheffield United, Chelsea, Fulham and Wolves. The skipper will also be absent from the March 10 Champions

League second leg against RB Leipzig as Liverpool look to make the quarter-finals of the competition, leading 2-0 from the first leg. An eight week lay-off means Henderson may not return

until the April 24 clash with Newcastle, by which time the Merseyside club will only have six league games left of the season. A statement from Liverpool on Friday said: "Liverpool can

confirm Jordan Henderson has undergone an operation on the injury he sustained during last weekend's Merseyside derby with Everton. "The captain was withdrawn after half an hour of

the Anfield fixture having picked up a groin issue that left him unable to continue. "Following further assessment with the club’s medical team, Henderson has successfully had a

corrective procedure carried out on the adductor injury. He will begin a rehabilitation programme immediately. "No specific timescale is being placed upon his return; however, the

30-year-old is ruled out initially until after the March international break. Gini Wijnaldum, Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara will continue to be relied on to play regularly in midfield

with Fabinho in the back-line, Henderson out and James Milner also injured. Naby Keita's return means he could get a decent amount of minutes while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will hope to

take his opportunities to impress. Diogo Jota is also closing in on a comeback after being out since early December with a knee problem. Liverpool return to action against

bottom-of-the-league Sheffield United on Sunday (7.15pm kick-off) looking to snap a four-match losing streak. That run leaves them sat sixth and five points off of fourth-placed West Ham,

with an urgent turnaround desperately needed to transform their fading top-four hopes.