Did Luis Diaz suffer a setback while recovering from his knee injury? Maybe or Maybe not. Yeah, it’s not that simple. Nevertheless, we are here to break down the details and get you sorted.
Luis Diaz was recovering from a knee injury that he previously suffered against Arsenal back in early October. The Colombian winger was expected to be out for 6-8 weeks. While returning to team training, Diaz suffered a major setback and is now sidelined for another 3 months. Is it a recurrence of his previous injury or a new injury? Let’s find out!
Luis Diaz initial injury
Luis Diaz suffered his initial knee injury against Arsenal back in October. Diaz was seen holding the medial (inner) side of his knee right around where the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is located. The reported timeline was around 6-8 weeks which aligns with a Grade 2 MCL sprain. A Grade 2 sprain suggests that the ligament is partially torn.
The latest setback
During the World Cup break, the Liverpool squad travelled to Dubai to ramp up preparations ahead of the Premier League restart. Luis Diaz was one of the names included in the travelling squad with a plan to continue his rehabilitation process and gradual integration into team training. However, that is when things went wrong and Luis Diaz suffered a significant setback. The 25-year old was reported to have injured his knee again. At this stage, it was unclear if it was the previously injured MCL or a different injury.
“It is a big disappointment for all of us. It was a non situation. Heard something. We had a look the next day. It was a proper smash in the face.”
Jurgen Klopp on Luis Diaz setback
Pipe Sierra, a Colombian journalist, was the first one to report the injury. Apparently, it is an issue with the lateral collateral ligament(LCL). He further added that Diaz would have to undergo surgery and he could be out for another 3 months after the setback.
The LCL is located in the lateral(outside) of the knee, on the opposite side of the MCL. The fact that Diaz will be having surgery and missing three months is a concern for a Grade 3 LCL sprain. A Grade 3 sprain indicates a complete tear of the ligament.
Final thoughts
Liverpool have been unlucky with injuries throughout the season and the Luis Diaz injury really comes as a smack in the face. Diaz will be out for a total of 5 months after his latest setback. Unfortunately, the Liverpool medical team has been made a ‘scapegoat’ in all of this which is totally wrong in my opinion. How?
The initial MCL injury was a contact injury with an Arsenal player which, let’s be honest, cannot be blamed on anyone. The setback was unfortunate, but it wasn’t a recurrence of the MCL injury. Instead, it was the opposite side of the knee.
I hope this makes it easy to understand that not every injury is the medical team’s fault. I am not taking sides here but stating the obvious, that every injury should be reviewed individually and not taken out of context.
If you liked this article, why don’t you read our analysis on “James Justin injury”? Thank you.
