Liverpool’s Calum Scanlon has suffered another injury setback and now faces several months out.
The 19-year-old went to Millwall on loan at the end of the transfer window but is already back on Merseyside to receive treatment for a back fracture.
Scanlon is seen as one of the academy’s best prospects and made two Europa League appearances last season.
However, the second half of his campaign was blighted by a recurring back injury that is now set to keep him out for months.
It appears to be an issue that’s similar to the one fellow full backs Conor Bradley and Calvin Ramsay have suffered with in recent times.
While Scanlon has played just 11 minutes for the London club and hasn’t yet started for them, manager Neil Harris is still “very disappointed to lose him.”
After their 1-1 draw against QPR on Saturday, the coach told reporters: “He’s got a stress fracture in his back which is a recurring injury for him.
“It’s unfortunate. We’re very disappointed to lose him because he was something completely different to what we’ve got in the squad as a very attacking-minded full-back.
“He’s gone back to Liverpool to be treated in the short and mid-term.
“He’s going to be rescanned at six weeks and then we’ll have a better idea how long he’s going to be, whether he’s going to be back soon after that, or whether it’s going to be an extended period. Anything past that is not a discussion at the moment.”
As an attacking left-back, Scanlon made his debut in the Europa League under Jurgen Klopp, coming on as a substitute in a 5-1 win over Toulouse last October, then playing in the 2-1 defeat to Union SG.
He will now be treated back in Liverpool and should return to Millwall when back to fitness, as his loan spell is scheduled to last for the full season.
