Liverpool have suffered an injury blow with Harvey Elliott ruled out for several weeks with a fractured foot.
The midfielder, who was forced to withdraw from the England Under-21 squad last week, has now suffered a setback with the extent of his injury being revealed.
He will be out at least until the October international break and is set to miss the start of Liverpool’s Champions League campaign, including the trip to AC Milan, and four Premier League fixtures, including the home game against Chelsea.
It means Elliott will be limited to just seven minutes of football in Liverpool’s first two months under Arne Slot.
He made only one substitute appearance, in the 2-0 win over Brentford, during their first three matches and had been Dominik Szoboszlai’s deputy for the No 10 role. The prospect of a busier fixture list offered the prospect of more opportunities but Elliott will now have to wait.
However, fellow midfielder Curtis Jones, who has missed the last couple of games, could be back in contention for Saturday’s match against Nottingham Forest. Forward Federico Chiesa could make his debut then.