"We really need him" - Villarreal star suffers injury blow ahead of crucial UEFA Champions League semi-final against Liverpool
Villarreal striker Gerard Moreno has suffered yet another muscular injury ahead of their UEFA Champions League semifinal against Liverpool.
Moreno picked up a knock on the hour mark during Villarreal's 2-1 win over Getafe on Saturday, 16 April. Despite his injury, the 30-year-old forward did manage to score and provide an assist in the game.
Moreno has been one of Villarreal's most important players this season. The Spanish forward has scored 13 goals in 26 appearances for the Yellow Submarine across all competitions. However, he has been quite susceptible to injuries this season. Moreno has already missed a number of games due to muscle and calf injuries.
The latest injury has not come at an ideal time for Villarreal as they prepare for the Champions League semifinal against Liverpool. Manager Unai Emery said the following about Gerard Moreno's knock (via Liverpool Echo):
"Muscularly, he has noticed something. We will see how serious it is because he has suffered from a muscular injury again. Within the player's despair of having another injury, we have to work on his recovery. Repeated muscular injuries are small frustrations in small spaces of time."
Moreno's teammate Pau Torres also understands the importance the forward brings to the team. He said the following:
"We hope this is not serious and that he recovers quickly because we really need him."
Gerard Moreno off injured for Villarreal. Could be very bad news for them… https://t.co/H7VusoJGq0
Villarreal caused one of the biggest upsets in this season's Champions League by knocking out German giants Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals.
Liverpool, on the other hand, secured a 6-4 aggregate win over Portuguese side SL Benfica in their quarterfinal tie.
The winner of the Liverpool vs Villarreal semifinal will face either Manchester City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final. While the first leg of the semifinal will be played at Anfield on 27 April, the second leg is scheduled for 3 May at Estadio de la Cerámica.
Quadruple-chasing Liverpool reach the FA Cup final
Meanwhile, Liverpool secured a 3-2 win over Manchester City on 16 April to reach their first FA Cup final since 2012. They will now face the winner of the second semifinal between Crystal Palace and Chelsea to be held on 17 April.
The Reds are currently chasing an unprecedented quadruple after already winning one trophy this season. Jurgen Klopp's side defeated Chelsea to win the Carabao Cup earlier this year and are now chasing three more pieces of silverware.
Liverpool's quadruple quest continues! 🎮 https://t.co/GvXm7ghcCg
The second-placed Reds currently have 73 points, one less than league leaders Manchester City in the Premier League with seven matches remaining this season. It is worth noting that the two sides played out a 2-2 draw in the league at the Etihad Stadium on 10 April.