When Liverpool last came here, Milan Baros and Jamie Carragher left with splintered limbs and yesterday, upon their return to Ewood Park, the leg-break jinx struck a third Liverpool player. Fighting for a ball just before half-time, Djibril Cisse, the club’s record signing, appeared to snap his left shin in a 50-50 challenge with James McEveley. The injury looked so gruesome there were even fears last night that it could threaten Cisse’s career.
The players near Cisse when the injury occurred immediately realised how serious it was. He is unlikely to play again this season. Liverpool press officer Ian Cotton said: “Our club doctor Mark Waller has confirmed that he suffered a comminuted fracture of the tibia and fracture of the fibula in his left leg. Djibril will undergo surgery to insert a pin in the tibia.”
Medics spent almost five minutes treating Cisse on the turf before lifting him on to a stretcher. He was carried off with a brace on his leg and his face buried in his hands. He is only 22 and, given that his game is based on athleticism,strength and speed, one wonders if he will ever be the same again.
Cisse’s misfortune will be remembered long after the details of this match, even though, with both sides attacking much better than they defended, there was plenty to savour. Play tended to ping from end to end and the power balance also see-sawed.
Liverpool led early on through John Arne Riise, were behind at half-time after Jay Bothroyd and Brett Emerton scored, and restored parity through Baros. Blackburn came back, then Liverpool finished the stronger. A point each was fair.
Paul Dickov did not deserve to be on a losing side, but then nor did Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard, the weight and accuracy of whose passing is so meticulous, can seem like a scientist in football boots.
With the Blackburn defence caught square, Alonso speared a diagonal ball over their heads to Riise who took it down and, with the utmost nonchalance, drilled a shot home across Brad Friedel.
The ease with which Liverpool were cutting through their opponents suggested that Blackburn, having lost 4-0 in their two previous Premiership games, were about to collapse again. But, with manager Mark Hughes bellowing at them, and Dickov a snarling source of strength, they stood firm and came roaring back to equalise.
Dickov turned Carragher before slipping a gorgeous ball inside Josemi for Emerton to collect and square across the face of the six-yard box to Bothroyd, who tapped in his first Premiership goal since arriving on loan from Perugia.
After Cisse’s injury, there was another calamity for Liverpool before half-time. Dickov slid the ball towards the box and it ricocheted off two sluggish defenders to the feet of Barry Ferguson. Sami Hyypia came across to knock it away, but instead of playing it to safety, he side-footed the ball straight to Emerton, who guided a first-time shot past Chris Kirkland to put Blackburn ahead.
With 15 minutes remaining, Harry Kewell stretched Friedel with a curling shot. Forty seconds later Jon Stead brought a sharp save from Kirkland at the other end and the teams traded chances until the final whistle.
Liverpool had equalised in the 54th minute when McEveley suffered a brainstorm and hit a free kick straight to Garcia, who immediately lobbed the ball through for Baros to score.