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Currently sat out with a hamstring injury, Joe Allen was always expected to miss at least a month of action. There had been hope, though, that the midfielder would be back in action by September. On the part of Wales manager Chris Coleman, there had even been hope he might be ready for the international break.
According to Coleman, though, despite previously being optimistic he would be ready to represent his country the first week of September, that now won’t be possible. That’s because Allen has suffered an unidentified "little setback" in his recovery, which will keep him out of action for at least a little longer and push back his return.
Allen will miss Wales’ Euro qualifiers against Cyprus and Israel—both matches Wales saw as essential to their qualification hopes. Currently, the Welsh are surprise leaders of Group B ahead of Belgium. Israel are currently third in the group and Cyprus fourth, both five points back of Wales with four games to go in the group stage.
The setback also makes it less likely Allen will be ready to go following the break, when Liverpool face a difficult trip to Old Trafford to face rivals Manchester United before the schedule eases off a little in the league for two weeks that see the Reds host Norwich and Aston Villa.
