Football
ESPN staff 9y

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva ruled out of FA Cup semifinal - report

Liverpool look set to be without Lucas Leiva for their FA Cup semifinal against Aston Villa at Wembley on Sunday.

Widespread media reports say that the Brazilian suffered a thigh injury in training on Friday and could be out for the next fortnight.

That means Steven Gerrard -- available again after he completed his three-match ban for a stamp on Manchester United's Ander Herrera -- could step straight back into the side.

Gerrard has not started a game since the 3-2 home win over Tottenham Hotspur on Feb. 10.

Lucas only recently returned from a two-month layoff with another thigh injury, and this latest setback will raise concerns about how much he can feature in the run-in.

He has been a central figure in Liverpool's revival this season, coming back into the side at the start of December at the beginning of a run that lifted them back into contention for a place in the Champions League.

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