Lucas out for the rest of the season

LUCAS LEIVA won’t be playing again this season for Liverpool after the club announced he had sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury would now need an operation.

When the Brazilian midfielder was stretchered off 20 minutes from the end of the Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea it was feared afterwards that his lay-off would be lengthy. The player underwent a scan and that confirmed the nature of the injury and the need for surgery.

The club’s statement said:

Liverpool FC said today a scan had confirmed an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament in Lucas Leiva’s left knee.

The Brazil international will undergo surgery and unfortunately be ruled out for the remainder of the current campaign.


Lucas Leiva

Lucas, out for the season

Losing Lucas is a huge blow to Liverpool, the £6m signing is a vital part of the Liverpool side and will undoubtedly be missed. His misfortune gives Jay Spearing a chance to cement a regular place in the starting line-up alongside Charlie Adam and Liverpool have also recalled Jonjo Shelvey from his loan at Blackpool. Kenny Dalglish may yet choose to buy reinforcements in the January window. Steven Gerrard is still unavailable following his ankle infection.

Lucas was signed from Grêmio by Rafael Benitez in 2007 at a time when Liverpool also had Steven Gerrard, Momo Sissoko, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano in central midfield. Of those midfielders here when Lucas arrive only Gerrard, who would later be deployed in advance of midfield in support of Fernando Torres, still remains at the club. Lucas has established himself as one of Liverpool’s most important players and the biggest worry fans had about him before his injury was the risk that one of the other European giants might have spotted his abilities too.

Liverpool almost lost Lucas last year. Rafa Benitez had gone and before Roy Hodgson was appointed those running the club had started work on buying and selling players. Hodgson admitted to Italian radio, after he was appointed, that Emiliano Insua had already been offered around different Italian clubs, with Christian Purslow named as the one offering the player around.

Lucas, meanwhile, was almost sold to Stoke City.

After interest from Italy fell away Insua would eventually leave for Turkey on a season-long loan, with an option to buy. Aquilani was also offered to Italian clubs and although he did eventually move to Italy it was also on a season-long loan with an option to buy. In both cases that option wouldn’t ultimately be taken up. Joe Cole was signed (the move already negotiated before Hodgson arrived) and the wage bill was heavily bloated as a result. Yossi Benayoun was sold earlier in the transfer window and Mascherano went to Barcelona right at the end after interest from Inter Milan fell away. Even with the purchases of players like Poulsen, Konchesky and Meireles another transfer window ended with Liverpool in profit.

Inter had planned to buy Kuyt and another English-based player as well as Mascherano; the moves fell through when Inter’s hierarchy did a u-turn on spending anything on new signings.

By this time the attempt to sell Lucas to Stoke City had failed and the possibility of the Brazilian international moving to Inter on loan was raised. That possibility ended because of Liverpool’s reluctance by now to deal with Inter, reluctance that is understood to be in part because of who was manager of Inter at the time.

A few months later the Hicks and Gillett era was over, Purslow had been removed from a position of power and Hodgson had been paid off and sent on his way.

Lucas ended the season as the club’s player of the season – but not until after Dalglish and Comolli recognised his true worth to the club by offering him a new long term deal.

His absence will be a blow to Liverpool but Kenny and his squad will use it as inspiration to fight for the rest of the season and to ensure Lucas returns to a club that has progressed even further than it already has since those dark days when men ruled only by money came close to destroying it.

Lucas will be back.

5 comments

  • Duncan Kerr

    Hi Jim, another good informed article. I was gutted to hear about Lucas who has become so important this season. It is noticable that the media don’t constantly ask where Gerrard is – which makes a change. Also, the article reminds me that we should trust in Kenny (not like the old days of panic) – bringing back Jonjo from blackpool is a shrewd move – and whilst he won’t replace or play the holding position nearly as well – it will be a good test of Adams to see if he can “flex” his game to accommodate less experienced players.
    Keep up the reporting – it keeps me close to the club I love.

  • shaun

    get well soon lucas ynwa

  • Robbie_LFC

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  • Ashfah Hussain

    Nothing to worry, he deverses a much needed rest. Besides we have able replacements in Shelvey and Spearing, if not better.

    • Miles

      Yup, absolutely agree with you. Hopes Lucas is rested for three seasons at the very least. At long last, Gerrard might just get to win the Premiership title with Liverpool.