Henderson departs after Dubai rehab stint

Dubai: England and Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will not feature in the Reds’ line-up at Arsenal on Saturday after spending a week in rehabilitation at the Fifa Medical Centre of Excellence in Dubai.

Henderson, who was carrying a hamstring injury, flew in to Dubai and spent a week at the Fifa Medical Centre of Excellence under the expert guidance of specialist orthopaedic Dr Frederic Khiami of France.

“For us, it is a matter of great pride to host a player of this calibre right here in Dubai. This only goes on to prove that we are among the best and some of the top players trust us as they attend to their sports injuries,” Dr Mourad Ghairi, the Chief Medical Officer at the centre told Gulf News.

“In the past we have had the honour of treating some of the top players including England striker Harry Kane and Serbian national team player Branislav Ivanovic. All of them have had wonderful stories to tell about our centre that has in fact helped in putting Dubai firmly on the map,” he added.

Dr Khiami was recently in the news following a successful surgery on Brazilian playmaker Dani Alves’s knee in June this year. “Our strengths lie in treating all kinds of sports injuries and we are among the best in assisting players during their recuperation period too. Jordan is an influential player in the Liverpool set-up and I am sure he will return soon as a much better player,” Dr Ghairi said.

Due to the high quality of service, some of the top players from the UAE national football team have also reposed their trust in the Dubai centre, including Majid Hassan, Ali Salmeen and Abdul Aziz Sangour. “Our centre is a good alternative to travelling to Europe,” he added.