When Liverpool fought so hard to keep Daniel Agger this summer, it was expected he’d play a major part this season. Through the first half of the campaign, however, Agger gone from automatic starter, relegated to the bench, to back in the rotation within the span of five months. Yet after this weekend’s FA Cup game against Oldham Athletic, the Danish international is back on uncertain ground, a calf injury threatening to undermine the progress he’s made to get back into Brendan Rodgers’ team.
Agger was forced to leave Sunday’s 2-0 and underwent tests on Tuesday to help diagnose the injury’s extent. With four other defenders already hurt, Liverpool was thin in defense before Agger’s injury, a state that forced the Danish international to make three starts in eight days after going off versus Oldham.
After 35 starts last season, Agger has only made 11 appearances in 20 league games in 2013-14. Last Wednesday, Agger scored his only goal of the season as Liverpool defeated Hull City 2-0 on New Year’s Day, only his ninth start of the Premier League campaign.
Should his injury prove serious, Liverpool’s defense would be relatively depleted ahead Sunday’s visit to Stoke City. In addition to Mamadou Sahko’s hamstring problem, the Reds are also dealing with injuries to John Flanagan and José Enrique, while Uruguayan Sebastian Coates has been sidelined since August.
Should Agger joined them on the sideline, Rodgers will likely have to start Kolo Touré and Martin Kelly against the Potters.