Curtis Jones made his first Premier League start in five months against Nottingham Forest and despite the poor result of the game, the midfielder explained why he has been out of the team for so long.
Speaking to Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo, the 21-year-old said: “I was away for 10 weeks, came on Wednesday and played half an hour, then 90 today. So yeah, I’m tired, but that’s part of the game. It’s a Premier League game, it’s always going to be hard, non-stop work. But I’m fit and ready now.
“It was a stress response. It was basically a swelling in the bone. But if you continue with that, it can end in a fracture and then a break. It was the first time I had something like that, to be honest. Knock on wood this doesn’t change, but I’m a kid who never gets hurt. No pulling hamstrings, quads, calves, things like that.
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“When I have been injured, it has been like a rare one. I had my eye poked last season and was out for six weeks, and this season I had a stress response in my bones. I was out for four weeks, came back and trained twice, felt it again and was out another six. It was a difficult moment, but now I am back, I am happy and I have a point to prove.”
Our No.17 had the third most touches and passes and the second most passing accuracy and distance covered of any player on the City Ground pitch, but there was still plenty of criticism for his performance.
Anyone who spends 10 weeks out injured is likely to take their time getting back to top form and it’s safe to say the England youth international isn’t likely to be in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup when everyone is fit.
It was a great opportunity for Scouser to start alongside Fabinho, but neither man shone much in what was a poor result for the Reds.
The youngster will now be determined to maintain his fitness and prove the doubters wrong, this new formation allows him to play in any of the four positions and hopefully he can become a player we trust for great performances.
A key way that can happen is for our fans to root for him and wish him well.
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