Schalke manager Thomas Reis has admitted that he doesn't know when Liverpool loanee Sepp van den Berg will return from the sidelines.
The Dutch defender has been out of action since October when he suffered an ankle injury during the 3-2 defeat to Augsburg. As a result, he went under the knife to repair the damage to his left foot.
Van den Berg has remained in Gelsenkirchen with Schalke in his recovery and travelled to Turkey with the Royal Blues as part of their preparations for the Bundesliga restart.
READ MORE: Robbie Fowler identifies biggest issue behind Cody Gakpo struggles as Liverpool truth emerges
READ MORE: Cody Gakpo wants Liverpool 'accident' and addresses position change after transfer
However, the newly-appointed manager has made a worrying admission about the 21-year-old's recovery as a return this season looks unclear.
"With Sepp, it's the case that he won't be available to us for a while. I can't predict how long that will be," he said. "He still has the same problem with the operated foot. It's hard to predict when he'll be able to complete the training without pain."
The disappointing update comes after it was confirmed that he was making good progress in his recovery from a severe ankle ligament injury and since their camp in Turkey he returned to the training pitch.
This month Schalke have welcome Moritz Jens as cover in the defensive position. Van den Berg Liverpool from Dutch side PEC Zwolle in 2019, has so far made four senior appearances for the Reds. He also had a successful loan spell with Championship side Preston North End having joined them in February 2021.
READ NEXT:
Jurgen Klopp has a simple answer to why Mohamed Salah and Liverpool are 'suffering'
Real Madrid 'went crazy' when Liverpool beat Manchester United to teenage star of Spanish academy
Jurgen Klopp has already sent a £250m message to FSG that can speed up Liverpool rebuild
Jurgen Klopp gives strong response to questions about Liverpool players' attitude
Moises Caicedo 'set to miss' Liverpool FA Cup tie after Brighton respond to transfer message
