Liverpool to 'rally around' stricken forward as…

Liverpool to 'rally around' stricken forward as Merseyside derby promise is made

Liverpool Women had the dream start to life back in the Women's Super League last weekend.

A statement 2-1 victory at home to Champions Chelsea no doubt sent a huge message to teams across the division. Liverpool are not here to just make up numbers, they're here to compete.

The win, however, was dampened by the sight of Leanne Kiernan limping off in the second-half with what looked to be an ankle injury. Liverpool's top goalscorer in their promotion-winning campaign, the last thing they needed was to lose the Republic of Ireland international.

Scans this week confirmed the 23-year-old will require surgery on the injury and she faces an extended spell on the sidelines. Manager Matt Beard revealed Kiernan is likely to miss the remainder of 2022, with a return anticipated in the new year.

Beard's comments on the player's attitude and application when she signed a new deal with the club earlier this month highlight just how much of a miss she will be as Liverpool look to consolidate themselves as a top flight team once again. “She’s had a good pre-season, she had a great season last year and she offers us versatility in the front positions as well, she can play wide and down the middle," he told liverpoolfc.com.

“Her attitude, her application and her personality is just fantastic and she’s going to be an integral part of the team for years to come.”

But this Liverpool team have coped with setbacks before and come back stronger. Last season's promotion-winning campaign was by no means an easy ride for Beard's side, goalkeeper Rylee Foster was involved in a serious car accident when visiting friends in Finland last October, which left her with several fractures in her neck.

Beard believes his side, as they did with Foster, will rally around Kiernan and he praised the striker's positivity as she begins her recovery.

“The morale has been fantastic (despite the injury)," he said on Friday. "We had so many incidents last year, such as Rylee’s accident, what happened to Paul McHugh, my father passing away just before the trophy lift. We’ve been in these situations before.

“We’re gutted for Leanne, but she’s really positive. She’s a positive girl anyway. We’ve been put in circumstances like this before and what we do, I think you’ve seen it on social media, the support Leanne has had from everyone and the players.

“We’ll rally around her and make sure she’s fine and we’ll continue to involve everyone. Like with Rylee, she’s involved all the time as well. It’s something that will bring us closer together and make us stronger.”

The next big test for Liverpool comes in the form of the Merseyside derby this weekend. Sunday's clash with Everton will be hosted at the club's iconic Anfield stadium and the Reds will hope to build on the positive result against Chelsea last time out.

“It’s a different occasion playing at Anfield," Beard added. "That’s going to put added pressure onto us a little bit. But also Everton because they’re coming to one of the most iconic stadiums in football. There will be pressure on both teams, it’s live on TV and it’s anticipated there will be a big crowd there.

"We’ve just got to concentrate on ourselves, once the whistle goes I’ve got every faith and confidence in the group we can put in a good performance and work like we did the other day (against Chelsea)."

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