Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk is expected to visit a specialist about the hamstring injury he sustained against Brentford.
Van Dijk has started all 17 of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season, but he is currently facing a spell on the sidelines.
The Dutchman was replaced by Joel Matip after being forced off at half time of Monday’s Premier League defeat to Brentford, with the Reds losing 2-0 at the break following an Ibrahima Konate own goal and a Yoane Wissa strike.
Although Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain score his first goal of the season to halve the deficit in the 50th minute, Bryan Mbuemo netted Brentford’s third in the latter stages to condemn the Reds to a 3-1 defeat.
After the disappointing result, Jurgen Klopp indicated Van Dijk had been withdrawn as a precaution, but it was later revealed that the issue was more serious than originally feared.
Initial scans confirmed that he had suffered a hamstring injury, although he is set to undergo further assessment.
According to The Athletic, the centre-back is expected to see a specialist to establish the extent of the hamstring problem.
While the initial assessment has indicated that Van Dijk will be sidelined for at least a month, the meeting with the specialist should provide a definitive answer to the length of his absence.
The Dutchman started 24 games in all competitions for Liverpool this season, and he has managed to find the net on two occasions, scoring in Premier League victories over Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
However, with Van Dijk unavailable for selection, Klopp will have to turn to other options to replace the injured defender in the lineup.
Matip and Konate are the obvious candidates to form a centre-back partnership, but Joe Gomez and Nat Phillips will also be vying for starting places.
Meanwhile, Van Dijk’s absence adds to Klopp’s current injury concerns, with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota unavailable due to calf and knee problems respectively.
Arthur Melo has struggled for fitness since joining on loan from Juventus in the summer, while Jordan Henderson, Roberto Firmino and James Milner were ruled out for the Brentford defeat.
Klopp’s side are currently preparing for an FA Cup third-round tie with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, where the Reds will begin the defence of the trophy they won last season.
Liverpool will then turn their attention back to Premier League action, and they will be keen to reduce the five-point gap to the top four.
