Jordan Henderson has made an early return to Liverpool from international duty, with England citing his absence for their next game as a need for a further assessment on an injury.
The Liverpool captain made only his second start of the calendar year for England on Friday, playing the full 90 minutes and notching a goal and an assist against Albania.
Gareth Southgate’s side dismantled the visitors to the tune of 5-0 to put the Three Lions on the brink of World Cup qualification.
They need just a single point against San Marino on Monday to reach next year’s tournament, but they will do so without Henderson.
He is one of five to return to their clubs prematurely ahead of their travels, joining Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw.
However, the FA say Henderson and Grealish have “returned to their respective clubs for further assessment on injuries,” which is not what Liverpool will want to hear.
Up until the break, Henderson was only one of two Reds from the midfield department that had not succumbed to the injury curse sweeping through the position.
The hope is that it will be a precautionary action and nothing too serious ahead of Arsenal‘s visit on the return of Premier League action on Saturday.
Curtis Jones, Naby Keita and James Milner are still to return from their respective injuries, while Fabinho and Thiago only made their comeback prior to the international break.
And as such, a setback for Henderson stemming from the international break, while not foreign for Liverpool, is a blow they did not need.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, on the other hand, remains part of England’s travelling squad for Monday’s final qualifier.
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