Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn is set to undergo surgery on a fractured metatarsal that could keep him sidelined for up to three months.
The Welshman, who is spending the season on loan at League One side Oxford United, sustained the injury during a 2-2 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.
The full extent of the problem should be revealed in a scan today, though it is expected that Woodburn will require a minor operation to correct the fracture.
If that is the case, Standard Sport understands the 19-year-old will return to his parent club in order to follow his rehabilitation programme at Melwood.
Oxford boss Karl Robinson revealed on Saturday that Liverpool had expressed unhappiness over the challenge that led to Woodburn’s injury.
He said: “I think if it was in the Premier League there would be a lot of questions asked about the tackle.
“The text I got from somebody at the top at Liverpool wasn’t overly complimentary.
“He’s a big player in League One and the treatment he gets on a weekly basis is not acceptable.”
Woodburn became Liverpool’s youngest ever goalscorer when he netted in a League Cup win over Leeds United at the age of 17 years and 45 days in November 2016.
He has since struggled for game time at Anfield and last term saw a season-long loan stay at Sheffield United cut short due to a lack of minutes.
However, the Wales international had been playing regularly at Oxford since joining in late July, clocking up 13 appearances in all competitions and scoring once.
