For much of last season, Liverpool's defense was an afterthought. Brendan Rodgers would have--and did, regularly--asserted that such talk was overblown, but his tactics suggested that he was perfectly happy to concede a goal or three as long as his front six were setting the world alight at the other end. One of the few who escaped criticism at the back was Jon Flanagan, who had emerged as a regular starter in an unfamiliar left-back role. The Merseyside native was an easy fan favorite, and he ended last season as one of the few in good stead going forward.
Transfer activity over the summer left things less certain for Flanagan, however, and doubts were compounded when he suffered what's essentially become a season-ending knee injury in preseason. There's a chance he makes it back into a matchday squad before the season's actually over, but as it stands, he'll be fortunate to find himself among the 18-man squad.
While that might seem pessimistic, it's actually relatively good news considering there had apparently been some discussion as to whether or not the 22-year-old would need another surgery after fluid was discovered on his knee. The Liverpool Echo report that surgery won't be needed, however, and the long-absent fullback will be able to take part in some sort of competitive fixtures--likely a U21 match--in the near future.
As has been the case with the likes of Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana, the hope now for Jon Flanagan is that he can see out the current season without incident, and the summer affords him the chance to get rehabiliated and ready for the 2015-2016 campaign.