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Liverpool FC starlet Yan Dhanda is facing a long spell on the sidelines after suffering a serious ankle injury in training.

The highly-rated Academy striker underwent surgery on Wednesday and may need a second operation which would force him to miss the start of next season.

It was a freak accident with Dhanda, who joined Liverpool’s youth ranks from West Brom in 2013, left in agony after team-mate Sam Hart landed on him in a practise match. It’s a cruel blow for the Birmingham-born 17-year-old, who last December became the first player of Indian heritage to sign professional terms with the club.

“Yan is a bit sore but the operation went well and he’s in good spirits,” said Liverpool Under-18s coach Neil Critchley.

“He’s getting his head around what he’s got to face and the challenge in front of him. He’s a level headed boy and he’ll be fine. He’ll come back strong.

“In terms of the time frame, it’s complicated. He was facing two operations as they thought they would have to repair the ligaments at a later stage.

“But when they looked around his ankle, the ligaments had started to heal. They’re going to reassess Yan in three to four weeks to see whether he needs further surgery. If he doesn’t then he could be back in pre-season.”

Liverpool Under-18s return to action on Saturday when they face Manchester City at the Academy on Saturday (11am kick-off).

Critchley’s side are full of confidence after last weekend’s stunning 4-0 demolition of Everton.

“It was probably the standout game of the season for us,” Critchley added.

“After 10 to 15 minutes we settled into a pattern, dominated possession and turned that into goals.

“We were outstanding. Everybody played to their potential. It was a complete team performance.

“We’ve been threatening to do something like that all season. In and out of possession we were excellent.

“We’ll have to win our last three games to have any chance of winning the title but we’ll keep going until the end.”