Liverpool continue to struggle through a wave of defensive injuries that sees multiple positional players currently out, no fit senior right backs available for head coach Arne Slot, and even the emergency replacements playing out of position in cover now suffering serious setbacks.
The latest was midfielder Wataru Endo, filling in at right back over the weekend against Sunderland. While Slot wasn’t revealing details of the injury following the match, it’s believed to be a broken foot and club captain
Virgil van Dijk now appearing to have confirmed as much.
“It’s a shame, we were all really gutted,” Van Dijk said of the injury. “I had a similar injury back when I was at Southampton, a foot injury, and it’s not easy to take, but we’re here for him. We are going to be together with him all the way and support him with everything he needs.
“It’s not great, he is such a respected member of the team, one of the leaders, and he always leads by example On the pitch he gives everything and you saw that. So it’s a big blow but we have to deal with it. Hopefully it’s not going to take too long but it looks like it will be a while.”
After initially struggling to force his way into Slot’s plans last season, the Japan international eventually did manage to make 32 appearances—though mostly as a substitute—and then chose to remain at the club as a depth option despite interest from other clubs last summer.
This season, though, Endo has made just 12 first team appearances totalling fewer than 500 minutes, and the consensus is that it’s highly unlikely the 33-year-old will be available to play again in 2025-26, and if he is, he will be just returning to fitness as the season ends.
