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Gareth Southgate hopes Joe Gomez has avoided a serious knee injury after the “unsettling” sight of the Liverpool defender collapsing in pain during England training.
The 23-year-old was supposed to play a key role in this month’s triple header, only to be stopped alarmingly on the eve of Thursday’s friendly with the Republic of Ireland.
The Football Association confirmed that Gómez “has withdrawn from the England team after suffering a knee injury in training”, and the defender returned to his club “pending a more in-depth diagnosis.”
“I can’t tell you how bad it is because they haven’t done ultrasounds yet,” said Southgate, the head of the Three Lions.
“What was disturbing was seeing that he was in a bit of pain and the fact was that there was no one around him when the injury happened, so I didn’t like that element.
“But we have to wait and see what the scans show and we are all hopeful that it is not what it could be.”
“But it’s not a good situation. I don’t see him involved in the games with us, that’s for sure.”
The injury is a blow to the stomach for the player, the club and the country.
Gomez suffered a season-ending ACL injury while playing for England Under-21 Southgate in October 2015 and injured his ankle representing the senior team in a friendly against the Netherlands in March 2018.
The defender suffered a broken leg later that year and could miss another extended stint for Liverpool, who have already lost defender Virgil van Dijk to a serious knee injury.
When asked if he feared Gomez might have suffered an ACL injury after saying “we all hope it is not what it could be,” Southgate added: “We cannot speculate on the exact nature of the injury. Not possible. ” until we see the scans.
“So as I say, my immediate thoughts are with him because he has had some difficulties with an injury in the past, so we hope as much as we can and we pray that it is not long term, but I just have to see.”
Online editors
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