Liverpool warrior Wataru Endo is set for a spell on the sidelines after being stretchered off the field during the Reds’ 1-0 win over Sunderland.
Arne Slot and his players secured a massive win at the Stadium of Light, becoming the first team to beat the Black Cats on their home turf.
While the win was vital both to bounce back from the Man City defeat and in the context of the battle for Champions League football, the evening was marred by the injury to Endo.
The 33-year-old is the ultimate professional and was performing a heroic job out of position at right-back before his studs got stuck in the grass, twisting his ankle and knee painfully.
True to his character, Endo did his best to fight through the pain and remained on the pitch for another two minutes before collapsing to the ground.
Liverpool’s medical staff and the medics staged at the Stadium of Light were forced to treat Endo on the field before he was stretched off the pitch.
What was the green device Endo was handed while on the stretcher?
Many fans online have wondered what it was that medics were seen handing to Endo when he was being loaded onto a stretcher.
It appeared to be a green whistle, and while some fans online have suggested it was for oxygen, it was actually for pain relief.
The green whistle or pen Endo was handed was an inhalable painkiller called Penthrox. In rare cases like these, it’s administered for rapid pain response in trauma response.
It’s not often used, which is suggestive of a very serious injury. For example, Harvey Elliott was given the same medication when he dislocated his ankle at Anfield during Jurgen Klopp’s reign.
How long will Endo be sidelined for?
Liverpool seem to be cursed at right back, with every player that has played there this season falling victim to an injury or suspension.
Endo now joins that list, but the timeline of his injury spell is what Arne Slot will be most worried about right now.
Although Endo’s desire to fight through the pain is commendable and much loved by supporters, there’s also a chance it could have exacerbated the damage done by his studs being caught on the turf.
Always there. Never complains. Lifts everyone up. We need more like him.
Absolute warrior Wataru Endo is. ??pic.twitter.com/EQ8384tHzg https://t.co/9t44UOijTN
— Tandy (@LFC_Tandy) February 12, 2026
According to football injury analyst Physio Scout, Endo could be out for over three months. This would bring a certain end to his 2025-26 campaign with the Japanese midfielder now at risk of missing the FIFA World Cup this summer.
Speculating on Endo’s injury, PS explains: “Forced eversion at the ankle after putting his bodyweight on it brings concern for a high-ankle sprain/syndesmosis injury.
“Due to the high velocity, scans will also need to rule out any lower-leg fracture – fibula is usually the structure at risk here.”