Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho will miss the start of the new Premier League season with an Achilles injury.
Sakho looked set to return to Jurgen Klopp's first-team plans after being cleared of a doping charge by UEFA that cost him his involvement at Euro 2016.
But the German has now revealed that the centre-back may not be able to train for another month as he recovers from a problem he played through last season.
"Mama had a little issue with his Achilles when he was playing [last season], one day on, one off, this kind of thing," Klopp told reporters.
"When he had his little 'break' he used the time to have a little bit of treatment and that now means another three or four weeks before he can train again.
"There was no surgery, he is just not about to train at the moment. He has got some rehab of course and it's not too good a situation for him, for us, everybody.
"It's not important what I could say because everyone thinks the same. He's here, he's not available at the moment but he is doing rehab. We will see how he reacts to that and then when he can play again."
Sakho is considering legal action after being cleared of any wrongdoing with regards to his drugs test three months after he was initially suspended.
The absence saw him miss the Europa League final and a home European Championship but he may yet have to navigate an appeal to UEFA from the World Anti-Doping Agency.
"I cannot say too much as a manager," Klopp added. "I don't know exactly what will happen now from Mama's side or UEFA's side.
"But as a human being I can say it's a sad story. He didn't for three-and-a-half months. That's obviously not really cool but we all know that doping is a very serious thing and we cannot have that.
"But I am sure they tried to do the right thing. Others have to talk about this because I don't know what I am allowed or able to say. That's one thing and the other is that Mama is currently injured."
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- Goal