Paul Glatzel Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery

Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images

The young German limped off the pitch during the very first pre-season game of the year.

One of the boons of pre-season is the opportunity for young players — both those on the fringes of the first team and those much less experienced — to show off their goods alongside their seniors. Unfortunately, this also carries with it the risk of watching one of those talented young players get injured, and for Liverpool, this pre-season has

Before Yasser Larouci was stretchered off the pitch following an assault from Joris Gnagnon during the match with Sevilla on Monday, Paul Glatzel had already had the misfortune of leaving the Reds’ pre-season preparations with an injury. Limping off the pitch against Tranmere, the 18-year old looked to have twisted his knee and today, the club confirmed the U18s captain had undergone surgery.

No details were released about the specifics of the injury or the surgery, nor has any timeline for the player’s return been suggested, but — if we were to speculate — the direction the player’s knee buckled during the match, the way he was able to continue playing for ten minutes after the initial injury, and the fact that a surgery has been performed suggest an MCL tear, from which a 6-9 month recovery period is usually the minimum.

It’s a blow to the German, who will thankfully have the backing of the club during his recovery.

“Paul will receive all the support he needs from ourselves as an Academy and from the medical staff at Melwood during what will be a tough period of rehab,” said U23 manager Neil Critchley.

“Luckily, we know Paul has the strength of character to overcome this setback and we look forward to seeing his talents back out on the pitch.”

The 18-year old managed an assist in the 20 minutes he spent on the pitch, and hopefully, given a successful recovery, he’ll look to start back up right where he left it when he makes his return some time next year.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com