Jordan Henderson Withdrawn From England Game With Hamstring Tightness

Much like the rest of 2020, this international break has felt like a never ending train wreck filled with existential dread. It started with a likely season-ending knee injury for Joe Gomez while in training with England. Then Mohamed Salah attended his brother’s wedding while with the Egyptian national team, where he managed to contract the coronavirus. Then news broke yesterday that Andrew Robertson would be held out of Scotland’s game against Slovakia after his hamstring seized up during his 120 minutes against Serbia.

With so many injuries piling up, Liverpool fans were hoping upon hope itself that their talismanic captain, Jordan Henderson, would manage to make it out of England’s game against Belgium unscathed. When he was substituted at half time without seeming to be hobbling off, people let out a collective sigh. That didn’t last long as England manager Gareth Southgate said Henderson was withdrawn at the half with hamstring tightness.

“Jordan had a bit of tightness at half time and felt he couldn’t carry on,” said England’s foremost vest aficionado and skipper of the England Men’s National Team.

“We’ll have to assess him when we get back.”

Hopefully “a bit of tightness” is all that this is, and Henderson can rest it for a couple of days and be good to go in a week’s time when Liverpool take on Leicester City. With Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara rounding back into fitness, there should at least be midfield options along with Georginio Wijnaldum and Curtis Jones available to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, should Henderson have to miss game time. (Fabinho and James Milner are likely to be pressed into defensive duty because, you know, Liverpool don’t have any healthy defenders.)

With another round of international games before the players return to their club teams, let’s all cross whatever appendages available that there are no more injuries.