Source: Telegraph
Liverpool's Martin Skrtel out for eight weeks as defensive issues mount
The club announced Skrtel would be absent for up to eight weeks because of the injury to his right foot. Skrtel will not need surgery, however the recovery process looks set to mean he will be unavailable to manager Rafael Benitez until the end of April. Related ArticlesLiverpool to offer Mascherano new dealLife through a lensGerrard silent in play but not directivesLiverpool 2 Blackburn 1Skrtel foot break confirmedBenitez praises Liverpool characterThe Slovakian centre-back was substituted midway through the second half of the 3-1 victory over Romanians Unirea Urziceni, which helped Liverpool reach the last 16 of the Europa League. Skrtel's absence comes just as Benitez thought he finally had a full-strength squad with which to tackle their remaining 11 matches as they bid to secure Champions League football next season. Jamie Carragher has been filling the England international's spot on the right of defence in the interim but with Skrtel now ruled out and Sotirios Kyrgiakos suspended, Liverpool's vice-captain is likely to switch back to the centre. That leaves an opening which could be filled by Philipp Degen, Martin Kelly or Stephen Darby.