LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 21: Adam Lallana of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield on January 21, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana is expected to sit out several months due to a thigh injury, manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.
The 29-year-old English star suffered the injury during the Reds’ 5-4 penalties loss to Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Audi Cup final in Munich. The teams had finished 1-1 in regulation.
“I think we can pretty much rule him out of August and September,” said Klopp. “This is certainly not news we would have wanted.”
Lallana will likely miss England’s World Cup qualifiers in September. Manager Gareth Southgate’s national team first visits Malta on Sept. 1 and then hosts Slovakia on Sept. 4. The Brits’ last two World Cup qualifiers will be against Slovenia on Oct. 5 and away to Lithuania three days later.
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Lallana has played 33 games with England.
Liverpool next face Atletico Bilbao in Dublin on Saturday for their last preseason friendly game. The Reds kick off their regular season at Watford on Aug. 12, and then play Hoffenheim in the Champions League playoff round beginning Aug. 15.
“He is a boy with a world-class attitude to everything professionally and he has always come back in good time from injury setbacks since I have been here, so we will see,” said Klopp of Lallana.
Forward Daniel Sturridge also became injured this preseason. He was sent off with a thigh problem on Tuesday after scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Bayern Munich.
Sturridge immediately pulled up and was substituted after 87 minutes, although Klopp stated he believed it was “nothing serious.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Philippe Coutinho is set to miss Saturday’s game in Dublin amid rumors of a possible transfer to Barcelona.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – JANUARY 21: Adam Lallana of Liverpool reacts during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield on January 21, 2017 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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