Heskey injury is blow to Liverpool
LONDON, England -- Liverpool's Emile Heskey may be out for three weeks after damaging a hamstring in the FA Cup win against Newcastle, leaving the club with a shortage of fit strikers.
He is out of Saturday's derby with Everton and is a doubt for England's friendly in Portugal on 18 February.
"Emile suffered a slight pull to his hamstring and he will miss the derby," Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier said.
"I think he will be out for two to three weeks at least. We will just see how he responds to treatment."
Heskey's injury could not come at a worst time for Liverpool, who have only just welcomed back fellow England striker Michael Owen after a lengthy layoff.
Milan Baros has not yet played a game after five months out with a broken leg, Florent Sinama-Pongolle is another week away from a comeback after a groin injury, Vladmir Smicer is struggling with an Achilles tendon problem while El-Hadji Diouf is on African Nations Cup duty with Senegal.
Heskey's injury also wrecks the prospect of a renewed late transfer move from Middlesbrough, who were willing to pay 5 million pounds ($7.5 million) for the striker.
Houllier is committed to signing Auxerre's Djibril Cisse for 14 million pounds ($21 million) in the summer.
