Sakho Back For Stoke?

In the wake of Daniel Sturridge's good news as to his injury recovery, we get a second set of such fortune with the news that Mamadou Sakho might be fit for the Stoke City match this weekend.

With Daniel Agger coming up injured during the Oldham match, getting Sakho back soon would be huge. The Frenchman has been a rock in the heart of Liverpool's defense this season, and his injury against Chelsea threatened to put a strain on the club's defensive depth. Agger's injury caused even greater concern, as that left Liverpool with only Martin Skrtel and Kolo Toure as healthy, experienced center backs in the senior squad.

While it's still questionable as to whether or not Sakho will be fully available for the Stoke match, the fact that there's even a chance is a boon. Before the FA Cup match this past weekend, it was believed that it would be several weeks at least before Sakho would be fit again.

There's still no word as to the extent of Agger's injury. The club are awaiting the results of a scan to determine how long the vice-captain will be out, which is rarely a good indication as to how serious an injury is this long after it happened.

That same Echo piece also indicates that while Joe Allen and Jon Flanagan won't yet be fit for Stoke, they should be available for Aston Villa the weekend after. Like Sakho, Allen was originally thought to be out for much longer. It seems like the injury woes everyone was worried about have largely calmed much sooner than earlier feared, which Liverpool fans will take with no complaints.