Arthur Melo’s Liverpool nightmare suffers critical injury blow
Robin Bairner
- 8 Oct 2022 20:46 BST
- 3 min read
Arthur Melo’s hopes of imposing himself at Liverpool have been dealt a massive blow by an injury that will keep him out until early 2023.
Arthur was recruited on loan from Juventus late in the summer transfer window but has barely featured for Jurgen Klopp’s first team. Indeed, he was given 13 minutes in a Champions League match against Napoli when the match was already lost.
This came against a backdrop of reports after just a fortnight at the club that Liverpool had already decided to send him back to Juve at the end of the season.
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Away from the team, though, the Brazil midfielder has won praise for his willingness to cancel his holiday plans in a bid to get up to speed during the break for international fixtures by playing for the academy side. He was making these efforts in an attempt to win his place in the 2022 World Cup.
Arthur’s aspirations of becoming an Anfield regular this season and playing in Qatar have effectively been ended by injury.
Arthur out until 2023
The Athletic reports that the 26-year-old will undergo surgery this weekend after an injury picked up last Monday in training. It is added that he will be missing for three to four months, meaning that it could be early February before he makes his return to action.
Liverpool have been blighted by injury problems in the midfield in recent weeks, though many of their existing problems are starting to be overcome.
Naby Keita is expected to return to action this month after missing out since August, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain tore his hamstring during a pre-season friendly but could return in the next fortnight or so. Curtis Jones is slated for a return in around the same timeframe.
By the time that Arthur does recover from injury, then, he will face the challenge of breaking into a Liverpool team packed with more established players with a greater future at the club. It’s too early to consign his loan spell from Juventus to the scrapheap, but it’s quickly heading that way.
