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Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana ruled out for 'significant period of time' with thigh injury
The midfielder suffered the injury in Wednesday’s Audi Cup final penalty shoot-out defeat to Atletico Madrid
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Your support makes all the difference.Adam Lallana will miss the start of Liverpool's Premier League campaign after being ruled out for a ‘significant period of time’ with a thigh problem.
The midfielder suffered the injury in Wednesday’s Audi Cup final penalty shoot-out defeat to Atletico Madrid, during which he was substituted at half-time.
Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, told the club’s official website that Lallana was likely to miss “a couple of months, not weeks”, ruling him out of the club's two-legged Champions League playoff with Hoffenheim.
“This is certainly not news we would have wanted,” Klopp said. “Unfortunately, the damage is such that it will likely mean Adam is out for a couple of months not weeks, so I think we can pretty much rule him out of August and September.
“Beyond that we will monitor and wait and see. 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.”
Lallana's enforced absence comes less than a week after Liverpool ended their interest in signing RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita, who would have competed with Lallana for a place in Klopp's starting line-up.
The loss of the 29-year-old leaves Klopp somewhat light in central midfield, with Jordan Henderson, Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum as recognised, senior options in the position.
Philippe Coutinho was successfully deployed in the middle of the park at the tail end of last season and has returned to the role in recent friendlies but is used to operating in a more advanced role.
The Brazilian is currently nursing a small back problem and, as a precaution, will not travel with the squad to Dublin for Liverpool's final pre-season friendly against Athletic Club.
Lallana, who scored eight goals in 35 appearances for Liverpool last term, suffered a thigh injury while on international duty with England in March and subsequently missed a month of his club side's season.
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