Liverpool dealt major Harvey Elliott blow as midfielder is diagnosed with fractured foot after pulling out of England U21 duty

The midfielder had initially been called up to represent England's Under-21 team but had to excuse himself from the squad after experiencing discomfort during training. Initially, the nature of the issue wasn’t fully understood, but further medical evaluations have revealed that the young midfielder is suffering from a foot fracture which could potentially keep him on the sidelines until late October, according to The Times.

Despite being tipped for a major role in this campaign, Elliott’s involvement has been limited and he has managed only seven minutes of game time in Liverpool’s 2024-25 season. He was eager to take advantage of the new opportunities under Arne Slot so that he could shake off the reputation of being a ‘super-sub’, a label he had picked up during the tenure of previous manager Jurgen Klopp.

Slot, who has led Liverpool to a perfect start in the league thus far, will now have to consider rotating his squad even more frequently to cope with the heavy schedule which will see the Reds play seven matches across all competitions in just three weeks. The Dutch manager wanted to use Elliott in a No.10 slot and his absence might see Italian international Federico Chiesa play a crucial role in filling the void.

Liverpool are also sweating over the fitness of Alexis Mac Allister after he sat out Argentina's international fixture against Colombia due to an adductor issue and will need to undergo a fitness check before returning to action for the Merseyside club.

Liverpool have had an excellent start to the season under their new Dutch coach, winning all three of their Premier League matches without conceding a goal. However, it remains to be seen how Slot manages to carry forward the winning momentum with injuries creeping into the squad.