Skrtel to learn fate after knee injury

Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel is set to discover today just how long he will be sidelined for with a knee injury.

The Slovakia international was carried off in the 3-2 victory over Manchester City on Sunday having fallen awkwardly in the closing stages.

Scans yesterday revealed he had damaged the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee but the 23-year-old must wait for the assessment of specialist before learning how bad the injury is.

“Martin underwent a scan which showed damage to the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee,” spokesman Ian Cotton told the club’s website, liverpoolfc.tv.

“He will see a specialist to assess the extent of the injury and will then have an accurate idea of the timescales involved before he is back playing again.”

Losing Skrtel for any length of time will be a blow for manager Rafael Benitez.

The £6m January signing from Zenit St Petersburg has struck up a commanding partnership with Jamie Carragher and the pair had started the last six Barclays Premier League matches together – conceding just four goals – and nine of the club’s 12 games this season.

His absence is likely to earn a recall for Daniel Agger, who was Carragher’s established partner until a foot injury severely disrupted last season.

The Denmark defender has played just twice this term, scoring a powerful free-kick in the Carling Cup victory over Crewe.

Last week Real Madrid, knowing the 23-year-old was likely to become frustrated with his lack of first-team opportunities, expressed an interest in signing the centre-back when the transfer window reopened in January.

However, Benitez dismissed the Spanish club’s chances, saying: “The situation is very simple, Daniel Agger is our player and his future is at Anfield and nowhere else.

“He knows my ideas because we have talked with him and he has a long future with us. It is important that people know that Agger is not for sale.”

With Skrtel now injured Agger is certain to be back in the frame when the Premier League reconvenes after the international break, with Liverpool hosting Wigan on October 18.

It also brings veteran defender Sami Hyypia into the reckoning.

The 35-year-old Finn, who signed a new one-year contract in the summer, proved an able deputy for Agger during his injury-enforced absence last season but had become fourth choice and was not even registered for the Champions League.