LIVERPOOL defender Glen Johnson has been ruled out for a month with a knee injury.
England right-back Glen Johnson sustained a tear of the medial ligament in his right knee during Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Aston Villa on Tuesday.
No definitive timescale will be put on his recovery until Johnson visits another specialist to assess the extent of the damage.
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said: “Johnson has a problem, so he’ll see a specialist and then we’ll talk but we know he’ll be out for at least one month.
“But we are waiting for another opinion and then we’ll know how long.”
Johnson’s knee injury presents manager Benitez with yet another issue to resolve just as it seemed a more settled side was starting to get its season back on track.
Johnson, an £18million summer signing from Portsmouth, was just settling back into the side having been sidelined by a hamstring problem.
On a wider scale, the former Chelsea defender is fortunate England do not have another fixture until early March - at home to Egypt - as he is currently national coach Fabio Capello’s first choice among an increasingly diminishing pool of players.
His absence, expected to be at least a month but possibly more, leaves a huge hole in Liverpool’s defence which Benitez will struggle to fill adequately.
Right-back has been a troublesome position for Benitez for longer than this season with the likes of Steve Finnan and Alvaro Arbeloa doing decent but not brilliant jobs.
The arrival of Johnson in the summer appeared to have rectified the problem and the England international began with two goals in his first four matches.
However, what the 25-year-old offered the side from an attacking point of view was somewhat negated as criticism began to grow over his defensive capabilities.
Injuries then compounded his problems and Johnson’s form has dipped in the last couple of months.
But how much the proven Premier League full-back will be missed will be highlighted in the next month as Benitez considers his options.
The most likely option is to move Jamie Carragher from central defence to fill a role he is not entirely comfortable with but which he has already performed this season in Johnson’s absence.
Alternatively, the manager could call on Swiss international Philipp Degen, who has struggled to settle in after injury wrecked his first season having signed in the summer of 2008.
The 26-year-old did not make his Barclays Premier League debut until this September and has been unconvincing in the first team, getting sent off in the 3-1 defeat to Fulham at the end of October.
An even bolder move by Benitez would be to give Stephen Darby, 21, an extended run in the side with the other option being 19-year-old Martin Kelly - who made his first start in the Champions League defeat at home to Lyon in October - who is currently sidelined with injury.
However, it seems unlikely the Liverpool boss will look to the transfer window to solve his problems - even for a short-term loan - as he has only a very limited budget to work with and more pressing priorities elsewhere.
The fitness of striker Fernando Torres and captain Steven Gerrard continue to be a concern and if Benitez is to strengthen anywhere in January it is likely to be on the forward line.
On the positive front, the Reds manager is hopeful of having winger Albert Riera back from a hamstring problem within the next few days.
Is it a problem ?
No la knn ....
This is the time for our young guns to show what they can do now .
If not for Johnson's injury , i doubt they will ever have a chance under Rafa .
I felt good Johnson got injured .
Then Rafa will ever thought of those young fellas .
I pray hard Lucas got some kind of injury , then someone came in , and play so well that Lucas can only sit and watch .