Harvey Elliott is delighted to have Luis Diaz back in the Liverpool squad after a lengthy absence
Harvey Elliott, a Liverpool midfielder, is relieved to see Luis Diaz return to the squad after a lengthy injury layoff.
Diaz made his first start for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after being injured against Arsenal in October.
The Colombian returned for the mid-season training camp in December, but aggravated his injury and required surgery. His first appearance since his return was against Leeds United at Elland Road a few weeks ago. However, a first start and a goal must be a good feeling for the former Porto player.
Elliott describes how excited the entire squad is to have the 26-year-old back
“It’s incredible – not just me, but the entire building is buzzing to see him back.” And so are the supporters. Obviously, there was a lot of speculation before the game about whether he was ready to play.
“He doesn’t appear to have been out.” It’s amazing to see that an injury like that can set someone back, but [he] can still come back firing.
“We’re all around him, and we’re all overjoyed for him.” Everyone saw his emotion after scoring the goal, and we all felt the same way for him.”
It would not be an exaggeration to say that had Diaz been available throughout the season, Liverpool’s position in the league table would have improved.
The Colombian’s directness on the ball, ability to take people on and release pressure, connect well with the other forwards, and add goals were all significantly underutilized. Darwin Nunez played there, but he is still learning how to play in a Jurgen Klopp system, whereas Diaz is six months his senior in that regard.
We can only hope that the 26-year-old stays healthy and finishes the season strong. Following that, the key would be to return for pre-season and work hard to reach his peak level before the start of the next season.
An in-form Diaz, along with Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, can pose problems for any English or European defense. Diogo Jota and Nunez make an excellent backup pair who can step in and add a new dimension to the Liverpool attack.
Leave a Reply