Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that centre-back Joel Matip has suffered an ACL rupture, which will rule the Cameroonian out for the rest of the season.
Matip was forced off the field in the second half of the weekend's 4-3 victory over Fulham at Anfield, and Klopp admitted straight away that the 32-year-old's injury appeared to be serious.
The Reds had not received the results of Matip's scans by the time Klopp faced the press on Tuesday, but reports claimed that he would face several months on the sidelines with ligament damage.
Speaking to the media following Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Sheffield United, Klopp delivered the crushing news that Matip had torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which is what he immediately feared.
"It's an ACL, ruptured, so that's what I unfortunately expected from the first second. Everything looked like that. Very unfortunate," the Liverpool boss confirmed.
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Liverpool did not put an estimated return date on Matip's recovery, but the former Schalke man will not be expected to play again this season and may have made his final appearance in a Reds jersey.
Matip's contract only runs until the end of the 2023-24 season, but he had played his way back into Klopp's Premier League starting lineup this season thanks to Ibrahima Konate's own injury troubles.
As a result, Klopp supposedly wants to keep Matip around and is pushing for the club to hand a contract renewal to the ex-Cameroon international, who has made 201 appearances for the club since arriving on a free transfer in 2016.
Matip has been welcomed into the treatment room by fellow long-term absentees Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Andrew Robertson (shoulder), although the latter two are aiming for returns at some point in January.
Meanwhile, Alisson Becker (thigh) and Diogo Jota (muscle) could make their comebacks around the Christmas period too, but the Reds have been handed yet another fresh concern with Alexis Mac Allister.
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The Argentinian World Cup winner played through the pain of a knee injury in the first half of Wednesday's contest at Bramall Lane, but he had to be withdrawn just before the hour mark.
"Macca, it was a shame. Early, he stepped on his knee, there was a cut. As long as the wound was open, we just strapped it, obviously it was painful but he could play," Klopp said.
"Then we stitched it but then obviously it got a bit tighter there and then he couldn't move anymore. Now we have to see how long that will take. I hope not too long."
Goals either side of the break from Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai saw Liverpool march to a 2-0 win over Sheffield United on Wednesday, spoiling Chris Wilder's return to the Blades dugout in the process.
The Reds remain just two points adrift of leaders Arsenal in the table and are back in action on Saturday lunchtime, when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the early kickoff.
Ben Knapton
