Alonso, Kirkland out for three months

January 05, 2005 20:15 IST

Liverpool suffered a double injury blow on Wednesday when Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso and goalkeeper Chris Kirkland were ruled out for three months.

Alonso will undergo surgery on Thursday after breaking his ankle in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Chelsea and Kirkland will have a back operation on Friday, Liverpool's official website reported on Wednesday.

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez had been hoping Alonso would only be sidelined for six weeks but a specialist said on Tuesday the 23-year-old Spanish international would need a screw inserted into his left ankle.

Kirkland, whose career has been blighted by a number of serious injuries, is to have keyhole surgery on a disc in his lower back.

Their absence will be a significant blow for Benitez, whose team have improved to fifth in the Premier League with four wins in their last five matches.

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