Liverpool have confirmed Mamadou Sakho will be sidelined for six to eight weeks following his consultation with a knee specialist.
The France international, in fine form since regaining his place from Dejan Lovren in September, suffered knee ligament damage when landing awkwardly against Crystal Palace on Sunday. A scan on Monday allayed fears the central defender had ruptured a cruciate ligament but a further assessment was required to determine the exact nature of the injury. Sakho visited a specialist in Liverpool on Tuesday and the club has confirmed it will be six to eight weeks before the 25-year-old is available again.
Sakho is the fourth senior player whom Jürgen Klopp has lost to a knee problem since he took over as manager last month. Danny Ings and Joe Gomez are long-term absentees with ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments and Daniel Sturridge has yet to feature under Klopp after a training-ground collision led to a buildup of fluid on the knee. Jordon Ibe suffered bruising to a knee against Palace but could be fit to face Manchester City after the international break.
Sakho, a former Paris Saint-Germain captain, will miss Premier League games against City, Swansea City, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and Watford with a six-week lay-off, plus the Capital One Cup quarter-final at Southampton and Europa League ties with Bordeaux and Sion. Eight weeks would include matches against Leicester City and Sunderland in the Premier League and mean it is next year before Sakho is fit again.
Lovren, who has endured a difficult time at Anfield since his £20m move from Southampton last year, is likely to get an extended run under Klopp in the French defender’s absence.
