JURGEN KLOPP WILL be without his first choice centre-back for the busy Christmas and New Year period after Mamadou Sakho was ruled out for at least eight weeks.
The French defender sustained knee ligament damage in Sunday’s defeat to Crystal Palace at Anfield and will now face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Sakho was forced off just before half-time after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Yannick Bolasie and underwent scans to determine the extent of the damage on Monday.
It’s another setback for the new Liverpool manager after the 25-year-old had established himself as a regular had the heart of the Reds’ defence. Dejan Lovren is expected to deputise alongside Martin Skrtel in Sakho’s absence.
Since his appointment a month ago, Klopp has already seen Joe Gomez and Danny Ings sustain long-term knee injuries while Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge have also yet to feature under the German.
Speaking on Sunday, Klopp said: “I would prefer to lose 4-1 and keep him in the team.”
After the international break, Liverpool face a crucial set of fixtures with a trip to Manchester City next-up. As well as concluding their Europa League campaign, the Reds then play Arsenal and Manchester United in early January.
