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Football

13th Sep 2021

Harvey Elliott refuses to blame Pascal Struijk for horrific injury

Daniel Brown

‘Wasn’t his fault what so ever’

Harvey Elliott has insisted that the injury he suffered following the challenge from Leeds defender Pascal Struijk was not the defender’s fault.

The 18-year-old suffered an awful injury in the second half of Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Leeds United yesterday afternoon, which led to Struijk receiving a red card.

After being stretchered off the pitch and taken straight to hospital, it was revealed that Elliot had suffered a dislocated ankle, with surgery expected in the next few days.

It is also believed that once the attacking midfielder has undergone his procedure, Liverpool will be better equipped to provide an update on his prognosis.

Despite receiving his marching orders, Struijk – who was a first-half substitute in place of the injured Diego Llorente – was desperate to ensure that Elliott was okay and issued his own apology after the game.

Posting on Instagram, the Dutchman said: “In today’s game, something happened that I would never wish on anyone.

“@HarveyElliott07, my thoughts are with you. I’m gutted and never meant for this to happen. I wish you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back on the pitch soon.”

Although the 22-year-old’s challenge appeared to be innocuous, he still received some criticism on social media – leading to Elliott defending him as he claimed that it wasn’t the defender’s fault.

Posting on Instagram, Elliot said: “Wasn’t his [Pascal Struijk] fault what so ever.

“Neither was it a red card just a freak accident but these things happen in football.

“I’ll be back stronger 100%. Thanks for all the support.”

Elliott has impressed many with how he has dealt with his first-ever serious injury – thanks in part to gifting a young fan, who suffered a broken arm in his own football match and was admitted to the same hospital as the Liverpool player, his match-worn shirt and one of his boots.

Now, he has made the effort to publicly defend his fellow professional, even starting that the challenge was not a red card.

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