Liverpool Dealt Wataru Endo Injury Blow vs Sunderland

Liverpool FC suffered a significant setback during their 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night, as midfielder Wataru Endo was stretchered off with what appears to be a serious injury[1][2][3].

The 33-year-old Japanese international, who had been deputizing at right-back amid an injury crisis in that position, caught his foot in the turf while stretching to make a crucial clearance inside the box shortly after halftime. Endo briefly attempted to continue but collapsed in visible pain, leaving the pitch in tears after a lengthy stoppage as medical staff carried him off. He was replaced by Joe Gomez, who had only recently returned from his own injury[2].

The incident followed Virgil van Dijk's winning goal, a powerful header from Mohamed Salah's corner just after the hour mark. The ball deflected off Sunderland's Habib Diarra into the net, ending the hosts' unbeaten home run and boosting Liverpool's Champions League aspirations. With Chelsea and Manchester United dropping points earlier, Arne Slot's side moved within two points of the top four, despite registering 23 shots, including Florian Wirtz hitting the post and late misses from Hugo Ekitike and Salah[2].

Manager Arne Slot provided a grim post-match update, telling TNT Sports and in his press conference that Endo's injury "doesn't look good" and he expects the No.3 to be sidelined for "a long, long time." Slot was unsure if it was the ankle or foot but emphasized the need for further assessment. He praised Endo's mentality for staying on to defend a set-piece, highlighting the team's resilience amid ongoing right-back woes, already without Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong[1][2][3].

This compounds Liverpool's defensive injury problems this season, but the hard-fought win restores momentum after a late defeat to Manchester City[2].

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