Ajax suffer Kudus injury blow in Liverpool defeat
Mohammed Kudus was substituted in the 9th minutes of the game. Tests conducted today show that the Ghanaian striker has torn his meniscus and will be out until January.
As if Wednesday's 0-1 defeat to Liverpool wasn't bad enough, Ajax learned today that striker Mohammed Kudus will be out until the New Year after picking up a knee injury early in the game. The Ghanaian forward was substituted on nine minutes and underwent tests this morning which confirmed the worst - a tear to the meniscus in his right knee.
Kudus will require surgery
The tear is severe and requires a trip to the operating table. It is still not clear how long Kudus is expected to be sidelined but initial estimates have him back playing in the Eredivisie after the Christmas break.
The 20-year-old was making just his fourth appearance for Ajax against Liverpool but his performances in the three previous games suggest that his injury is a major headache for coach Erik ten Hag. In two of the three previous games, he had picked up the MVP of the match.
Kudus is a fundamental part of Ten Hag's new scheme - as was evident in the victory over Heerenveen - a win which Ajax really needed. Alongside Davy Klaassen, Kudus was deployed as a deep-lying forward in a 4-2-3-1 set-up - identical to the line-up which started against Liverpool. His injury is a big setback for the team.