Layton Stewart is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Liverpool youngster confirmed he had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
Stewart suffered the injury while playing for the under-23s in their 1-1 Premier League 2 draw against West Ham United at the Academy on Saturday.
He twisted and fell awkwardly when challenging for possession on the edge of the area, and was in clear pain as he underwent lengthy treatment on his right knee and received oxygen before being taken off on a stretcher.
Now Liverpool and the player's worst fears have been realised with the 18-year-old set for surgery to repair the damage.
Stewart posted on Instagram on Sunday: "As most of you probably already know I suffered an injury to my right knee in last night's game which (will require) me to get another operation as I've ruptured my ACL.
"It's a hard one to take but time to focus on my rehabilitation and getting myself back fit and playing as soon as possible.
"It's going to be a long road to recovery but I'll be BACK... Thank you for all the messages."
Stewart, who had an ankle operation early last year, is the latest Liverpool youngster to suffer an ACL problem, with both striker Paul Glatzel and winger Abdi Sharif absent for more than 12 months after sustaining similar damage in the summer of 2019.
And for the first team, Virgil van Dijk is not expected to play again until next season after damaging his ACL when caught by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in October.
