Martin Skrtel: Injured or "Injured"?

The cacophony of conjecture, rumours, and outright fabrications involving certain figures on Liverpool's front line throws into sharp relief the eerie quietness surrounding the club's centre back situation. Since starting against Melbourne Victory, Martin Skrtel in particular has done a slow fade that would rival the disappearing acts done by some of his younger teammates, and now it seems that at least part of the reason for his absence is down to pulling some ligaments in his left knee.

"It is nothing serious but when I want to put full weight on the knee or I kick the ball, it hurts a lot," said Skrtel. "I believe that I will resume training in the next few days."

Injuries coinciding with pointless international friendlies are somewhat suspect to begin with and are doubly so when they occur in a player who has been kinda sorta maybe on the cusp of leaving his club all summer (see also: Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez). Convenient timing aside, Liverpool seem to be taking it seriously and denied the Slovak permission to watch his countrymen take on Romania in person.

"We discussed the possibility of me at least going to watch the lads play," Skrtel explained. "I was for this option, but Liverpool were against it. They didn't want me to give two days of possible treatment away like that."

Whether Skrtel is concentrating on getting fit to ride the bench on Saturday or getting fit to help expedite a move elsewhere remains to be seen, but with Daniel Agger still a question mark for Saturday it leaves Liverpool with the slightly precarious centre back situation many have been so worried about since Jamie Carragher retired. Plus, Stoke!