Liverpool have been rocked with another injury blow ahead of the start of their season, as Loris Karius is set to be sidelined for between eight to 10 weeks with a broken bone in his hand.
The goalkeeper, acquired from Mainz this summer in a £4.7 million deal, will return to the United Kingdom where it is likely he will undergo surgery.
He suffered the problem during a collision with Dejan Lovren in the 1-0 International Champions Cup defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday, and joins Mamadou Sakho, Joe Gomez and Lucas in missing the opening of the 2016-17 campaign.
Karius, signed to rival Simon Mignolet in goal, turned down the opportunity to represent Germany at the Olympics in order to nail down the number 1 spot at Anfield.
“I would miss the first two league games of the season, and of course I want to play in them,” he said of his decision.
The setback will be devastating for the 23-year-old, who was due to start the club’s opening Premier League fixture at Arsenal.
It will also dent Klopp’s preparations for the beginning of his first full season in charge of Liverpool, given how well the keeper has worked with the backline, and how important his aggressive style is in keeping the team on the front foot.
The slated timeframe of his sideline spell will see Karius miss seven games, including the challenging trips to Chelsea and Tottenham.
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