Liverpool have received a welcome boost ahead of a difficult set of fixtures, as Harvey Elliott has returned to light training following his foot fracture, according to the Athletic.
Elliott has managed just eight minutes of football so far this season, after sustaining a foot injury in September. The 21-year-old was forced to pull out of the England Under-21s squad for the previous international break after voicing discomfort that he was experiencing during training, which was revealed to be a fractured bone in his left foot following a scan.
There had initially hope that a comeback for the visit of Chelsea this Sunday was on the cards, but this has ultimately proved to be too optimistic. However, having completed a gym session and having jogged outside on Monday, there is hope that Elliott could be in contention to feature in games at the end of October.
Elliott Returns to Light Training
The midfielder is close to a return
Signing for Liverpool from Fulham in 2019 at the age of just 16, Elliott has developed impressively in a red shirt, establishing himself as an important member of the Merseysiders’ squad. Making over 100 appearances for the club, despite only turning 21 in April, the Surrey-born man managed 11 league starts under Jürgen Klopp last season.
Described as a ‘brilliant footballer’ by teammate Tyler Morton, the youngster suffered a set-back at the beginning of the new campaign which has halted his gradual progress. Fracturing a bone in his foot, new boss Arne Slot has only been able to call upon Elliott once, for an eight-minute cameo at home to Brentford in August.
However, the Athletic report that he could be at Slot’s disposal once again by the end of the month. As some of the north-west club’s internationals returned to Kirkby this week, Elliott was seen jogging outside on Monday, after having completed his first gym session back since suffering the foot problem.
While the playmaker isn’t expected to feature against Chelsea on Sunday afternoon at Anfield, it’s plausible that he could play some role in the following weekend’s trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal, or the EFL Cup tie at the Amex against Brighton on October 30th.
Where Elliott stands in Slot’s pecking order remains to be seen, although being an unused substitute in two of the three games he’s been available for would suggest he’s not exactly first choice in the middle of the park at the moment.
Elliott’s Premier League Statistics 2023/24
Appearances
34
Goals
3
Assists
6
Pass Accuracy
83.7%
Progressive Passes Per 90
8.53
Key Passes Per 90
2.47
Tackles and Interceptions Per 90
2.2
Liverpool Midfielder Criticised for International Performance
As Elliott nears a return, he’ll be hoping for a potential route into the team, which could be created by other midfielders in Slot’s ranks struggling. Reports from Dutch national media would suggest Ryan Gravenberch did so on Monday in the Netherlands’ 1-0 defeat to Germany in Munich.
The Liverpool midfielder could ‘barely string a pass together’ in a ‘sloppy performance’ for de Oranje. A first half goal from Jamie Leweling gave die Mannschaft all three points in the Nations League encounter, with Gravenberch failing to impact the game in a positive manner. However, the former Ajax man has been in fine form for his club of late, and Slot will be hoping this display was merely a minor blip for the 22-year-old.
