SANTA CLARA, USA - Saturday, July 30, 2016: Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo in action against AC Milan during the International Champions Cup 2016 game on day ten of the club's USA Pre-season Tour at the Levi's Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Sheyi Ojo out for a month with a back injury, due for mid-September return

Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo will miss a month of action after fracturing a bone in his back, it has been revealed.

Ojo missed the final games of Liverpool’s pre-season tour after complaining of discomfort, though his problem was initially thought to be minor.

But after undergoing a scan it has been discovered that the 19-year-old will require a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

According to the Liverpool Echo‘s James Pearce, this will see Ojo out of action until mid-September.

It is believed that a busy summer schedule contributed to Ojo’s injury, with the winger taking part in the European U19 Championship with England, before immediately linking up with the Reds squad for pre-season.

This saw Ojo decline Jurgen Klopp‘s offer of a three-week holiday, as with his other summer internationals, in a bid to prove his worth to the German’s first team in 2016/17.

He impressed in his appearances for the club on their pre-season tour of the US, but this clearly took its toll.

However, with Ojo injured for a month, he may have inadvertently sealed his place in Klopp’s squad for the season ahead, with clubs likely reluctant to take him on loan at this stage.

WIGAN, ENGLAND - Sunday, July 17, 2016: Liverpool's Lazar Markovic in action against Wigan Athletic during a pre-season friendly match at the DW Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Ojo will be vying with the likes of Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho for a starting role this season, though fellow winger Lazar Markovic looks set to leave the club.

Working his way back to fitness following a hamstring injury, Markovic failed to appear in either the first-team squad or for the U23s in their opening games of the season.

Fellow peripheral figure Danny Ings, however, took up his place in Michael Beale’s squad for their 4-1 defeat to Southampton U23s on Sunday.

Facing competition from Ojo, who is three years his senior and more established under Klopp, and without European football this season, Markovic is seemingly surplus to requirements.



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