LFCTV Apologizes for Graphic Injury During Liverpool Friendly

What was supposed to be a low-key tune-up for Liverpool’s stars took a grim turn when LFCTV showed a graphic injury to a Como player during a behind-closed-doors friendly.

Cesc Fabregas’ Serie A side were in town for a pre-season double-header, with the main event at Anfield preceded by a 70-minute run-out at the club’s Kirkby Training Centre. The first game, away from the public eye, was designed to top up minutes for the likes of Federico Chiesa, Alexis Mac Allister and summer arrival Victor Munoz.

Instead, it left viewers wincing.

Horror moment at Kirkby

Midway through the goalless encounter, Como centre-back Alberto Dossena challenged in the air with James McConnell and Will Wright. As he came down, he landed awkwardly on his hand.

The impact was ugly. The pictures were worse.

LFCTV’s cameras, tight on the action, zoomed in as Dossena stayed down, revealing a horribly dislocated finger. The close-up went straight out on the club’s official channel, catching plenty of supporters off guard.

Lead commentator John Bradley reacted instantly on air.

"That's a nasty landing. We might need a little stoppage here to get the medical team on. Well yes there you go, he's dislocated his finger."

Co-commentator Natashia Dowie could only add: "Woah that's not nice," before Bradley moved quickly to acknowledge how graphic the images were.

"Apologies if you are just trying to have your lunch or if you're in, who knows, San Diego having a very early breakfast. Sometimes you just see things that make you squirm."

The game paused briefly as medical staff rushed on. Dossena, 27, received treatment on the pitch, his finger bandaged up before he remarkably chose to play on. He saw out the remaining six minutes.

The match itself never really caught fire. Clear chances were scarce, but there were flickers of encouragement for Liverpool. Munoz offered energy and intent, while young midfielder Trey Nyoni again showed why he is being talked about so highly inside the club.

Stronger XI, sharper edge at Anfield

The more familiar setting of Anfield hosted the second fixture, and this time Andoni Iraola went stronger.

Liverpool’s head coach named a more senior line-up, pairing new signing Jeremy Jacquet with captain Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence. The Frenchman did more than just get through his first outing of pre-season; he marked it with a goal.

By then, the Reds were already in front. Cody Gakpo struck first, finding the net to give Liverpool control, before Jacquet added a second 21 minutes later to cap an impressive debut performance.

Recent loan recruit Ronald Araujo started among the substitutes. He was joined on the bench by Lewis Koumas, Munoz, Nyoni, Wright and Mor Talla Ndiaye – all of whom had put in a shift in the earlier Kirkby clash.

The double-header formed a key part of Liverpool’s final preparations for the new Premier League campaign, something Iraola had stressed before the games.

"This will be a very good, and very important, test for us as we finalise our preparations for the new Premier League season," he said. He pointed to "plenty of positives and plenty of learnings" from the previous weekend’s outing against Monaco, even if the scoreline had not gone Liverpool’s way.

He highlighted the intensity of the opening spell in that Monaco match, and the sharpness of Alexander Isak in front of goal, but did not shy away from the main concern: Liverpool’s inability to maintain those levels for 90 minutes, an issue that had also surfaced against Leeds in Chicago.

That, he insisted, only changes with time and hard work on the training ground.

The fitness will come. The sharpness will follow. What Liverpool did not plan for was a pre-season friendly leaving their own TV channel issuing apologies and viewers looking away from the screen.