Liverpool midfielder sent home from international duty for 'medical assessment'
- Harvey Elliott wtihdraws from England Under-21 squad
- Unspecified injury rules midfielder out of international action
- Liverpool manager Arne Slot has favoured other players
Liverpool have been dealt an injury blow following news that midfielder Harvey Elliott has been sent home from international duty over a potential injury problem.
Elliott was named in England's Under-21 squad for this month's fixtures against Northern Ireland and Austria but was among a small group to withdraw soon after reporting for duty.
The Liverpool youngster has returned to his club for "further medical assessment", as have Ipswich Town forward Omari Hutchinson, Aston Villa's Jaden Philogene and Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Sam Tickle to their respective sides.
Elliott has wound up playing only a peripheral role so far this season under new manager Arne Slot.
In 2023/24, he was a regular starter for Jurgen Klopp in the Europa League and Carabao Cup, helping Liverpool win the latter, and made 34 Premier League appearances, both in the lineup and from the bench. His campaign finished with five starts in Liverpool's last six league games, getting a goal and three assists during that impressive run in the team.
But Slot has gone a different way. Elliott's only game-time has been seven minutes at the end of August's win over Brentford, remaining an unused substitute in Liverprool's two other fixtures.
Mohamed Salah is back in full flight on the right flank, where Elliott played a number of games last season, while Slot has put his full faith in the resurgent Ryan Gravenberch in central midfield alongside the previously established Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.
Elliott's withdrawal from the junior England squad is therefore doubly disappointing because the international break represented a chance to get the game time he hasn't had at Liverpool.
Chances are likely to come his way, especially with a marathon Champions League 'league' phase getting underway later this month and Liverpool's involvement in the Carabao Cup also beginning. But a repeat of last season's 53 appearances already seems unlikely.
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