Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is expecting Dejan Lovren to return to action within the next three weeks.
The Reds comfortably dispatched West Ham United in their opening fixture of the Premier League season, as a Sadio Mane brace flanked by goals from Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge secured a routine victory.
Klopp was forced to slot Joe Gomez into central defence alongside Virgil van Dijk following a series of injuries to his centre-backs. Ragnar Klavan and Joel Matip are both currently sidelined, whilst Lovren is absent due to a stomach injury.
Speaking after the game to Liverpool’s official club website, Reds boss Klopp delivered an update on the condition of Lovren and indicated that he should be back in action sooner rather than later.
He is not fit. Let me say it like this, last year he already had a few problems with that but he could obviously play – and played really good.
Recovery days were always enough then it was not a problem and he was in the next session again. We did not train a lot in the end of the season, of course, because we were more or less constantly playing, but he played constantly.
Now in the World Cup, [playing] three times [for] 120 minutes it got a bit worse, but I am pretty sure it will settle in the next one, two or three weeks. In that time he can probably for sure train already, but not the full programme, so that will then take time.
In the end, it is serious but not that serious, so it’s not that we need to be afraid that it will take him until whenever. In the moment he is not available, that’s true.
Lovren enjoyed an extended period away from pre-season training following his exploits with Croatia at this summer’s World Cup but will be keen to return in swift fashion for Liverpool’s fixtures in September, it seems.
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