Harvey Elliott refuses to blame Pascal Struijk for horrific injury

'Wasn't his fault what so ever'

Harvey Elliott has insisted that the injury he suffered following the challenge from Leeds defender Pascal Struijk was not the defender's fault. The 18-year-old suffered a nasty injury in the second half of Liverpool's 3-0 victory over Leeds United yesterday afternoon, which led to Struijk receiving a red card. After being stretched off the pitch and taken straight to hospital, it was revealed that Elliot had suffered a dislocated ankle, with surgery expected in the next few days. It is also believed that once the 18-year-old has undergone his procedure, Liverpool will be better equipped to provide an update on his prognosis. Despite receiving his marching orders, Struijk - who was a first-half substitute in place of the injured Diego Llorente - was desperate to ensure that Elliott was okay and issued his own apology after the game. Posting on Instagram, the Dutchman said: “In today's game, something happened that I would never wish on anyone. https://twitter.com/LFCFansCorner/status/1437168369774571520 Although the 22-year-old's challenge appeared to be innocuous, he still received some criticism on social media - leading to Elliott defending him as he claimed that it wasn't the defender's fault. Positing on Instagram, Elliot said:

"Wasn't his [Pascal Struijk] fault what so ever. "Neither was it a red card just a freak accident but these things happen in football. I'll be back stronger 100%. Thanks for all the support."

https://twitter.com/PhilHay_/status/1437426070249250822 Elliott has impressed many with how he has dealt with his first-ever serious injury - thanks in part to gifting a young fan, who suffered a broken arm in his own football match and was admitted to the same hospital as the Liverpool player, his match-worn shirt and one of his boots. Now, he made the effort to publicly defend his fellow professional, even starting that the challenge was not a red card. Related links:

• Harvey Elliott donated Liverpool shirt and boot to young fan in hospital
• Marcus Rashford sends message to Harvey Elliott after he is stretchered off