Nathaniel Clyne to Miss Further Three Months Following Back Surgery

Nathaniel Clyne has been missing from action ever since his substitute appearance in the club’s first friendly of the pre-season against Tranmere Rovers, and there has since been surprisingly little to report about his status bar that he suffered a back injury and would be out for some time.

What exactly some time meant in this case was never very well defined, though when he was left out of the Champions League squad for the autumn, many assumed the worst. Today, news he will be out until at least February confirms that the worst was, in fact, the reality.

The specifics of Clyne’s back injury remain rather vague, but we now know that he underwent surgery on his back today and that he is expected to miss three further months as he recovers. Even when he does return—assuming he does on schedule—he will have some way to go.

Having had no pre-season to speak of and spending, when he’s fit again, six months on the sidelines means it won’t be a matter of simply stepping back into the starting eleven in the new year, and even in the best case it might be safest to assume a late February or early March return to action.