Rumoured Target: Mario Götze Sidelined Indefinitely With 'Metabolic Disturbances'

Fitness concerns have seen the World Cup-winner placed on severe minutes restrictions since his return to Borussia Dortmund, with new medical tests linking the series of long-term injuries he has suffered in recent years to what doctors are calling, “metabolic disturbances.”

"We're happy to have now uncovered the reasons for Mario's difficulties,” BVB Sporting Director Michael Zorc said in a statement on the club website. “And we are convinced that his extraordinary abilities will give us additional quality once he has completely recovered from this."

The diagnosis effectively ends Götze’s attempt this season at a triumphant return to his boyhood club following an abortive and controversial three-year spell at Bayern Munich that saw the 24-year-old fail to hit the heights that once made him the most coveted player in Europe.

The player himself is maintaining the expected saccharine positivity over the disappointing news, “I'm currently undergoing treatment,” Götze said. “And I will do everything in my power to be back in training and helping my team to achieve our common goals as soon as possible."

Even so, the speculation that had resurfaced once again that his old boss, Jürgen Klopp could potentially revive last summer’s campaign to bring the forward to Liverpool will most certainly now be put to rest in the medium-term. Dortmund CEO Hans-Joacim Watzke had dropped heavy hints just last week that his side had “too many attacking players,” a surplus of which Götze was most certainly foremost.

Some around Anfield (read: most likely only this columnist) had seen a potential reunion between Klopp and his former protégé as the perfect low-risk, high-reward move that might have seen a massive talent rejuvenated in the trajectory of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho.

However that hope is now dead in the water which makes it the one bit of unpredictable news to come out of Liverpool on Monday.