Jurgen Klopp says Jordan Henderson doesn’t require surgery on knee injury

Jordan Henderson will be able to lift the Premier League trophy after Jurgen Klopp revealed he had received the ‘best possible bad news’ about his captain.

There had been fears that Henderson had suffered significant damage to his left knee during Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Brighton, so much so that Liverpool were worried he would face the threat of an operation and a long-term rehabilitation.

Henderson underwent a scan on Thursday and while the results have confirmed that he will miss the rest of the campaign, the ligament injury is not as severe as first anticipated. 

He does not require surgery and could even be ready for the new campaign, which is set to start in mid-September. 

Liverpool fear captain Jordan Henderson doesn’t need surgery on his knee injury 

Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Henderson should be fit and available for the start of next season 

Though the 30-year-old is shattered that he cannot help Liverpool in their quest to record the highest points total by a title-winning team, Henderson will at least be the man who is presented with the trophy following the final home game against Chelsea on July 22.

‘Hendo is the best possible of all bad news,’ said Klopp. ‘It is a knee injury but no surgery needed. Yes, he will not play anymore this season but I am pretty positive he will start with us the new season. We were all concerned when we saw him going down and he left the pitch.

‘When we got the news, it was a big relief for all of us. It is not cool but it is the best we could get. Hendo is a quick healer and he will be back soon. We all felt [concern] very much. It was an awful moment when he went down and left the pitch we knew immediately.’

This is not the first time Henderson has suffered knee ligament damage. In April 2016, he was injured during the Europa League quarter-final against Borussia Dortmund but returned within 38 days – a month ahead of schedule. 

Klopp, speaking ahead of his team’s visit to Burnley, confirmed the encouraging news

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp (left) consoled Henderson as James Milner (right) replaced him

Klopp’s concern on Wednesday stemmed from Henderson – who had been excellent and scored Liverpool’s second goal – needing to leave the pitch in such discomfort but the subsequent 24 hours have put the manager at more ease.

‘In Germany, you would say he is an animal,’ said Klopp, whose side face Burnley tomorrow. ‘Hendo fights with everything if he has pain he will never tell you. He can really deal well with pain so in this moment it was a complete mood killer.

‘We won 3-1… great! I told them winning an away game in the Premier League is exceptional for all teams, it was exceptional for us, and we should be really happy about that. Then you realise Hendo is around the corner. Everyone felt for him.

‘But he deserves to lift the trophy – and he will lift the trophy. No surgery is needed. That is the good news, all the rest we can make our decisions around the trophy lift but Hendo will lift the trophy.’