Liverpool Defender, Joe Gomez fears he has suffered a serious injury in England training that could deepen the scousers’ defensive crisis.
England manager Gareth Southgate is expected to confirm Gomez’s injury later on Wednesday, with the player and Liverpool sweating over the severity of it.
It is understood that Gomez is concerned that the injury, the specific nature of which is not yet known, is bad and that he could be out for some time.
That would be the worst possible news for Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk already in danger of missing the rest of this season after undergoing surgery on a serious knee injury and Trent Alexander-Arnold out for around four weeks.
Gomez partnered Joel Matip against Manchester City at the weekend, while Fabinho, who has also been out with an injury, has filled in at the back this season.
But losing Gomez for any length of time may force Liverpool into the transfer market in January to find cover, with both of their first-choice centre-backs potentially out.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been vocal in his insistence that the well-being of players is being put at risk by the tight schedule and the inability to make more than three substitutions in the Premier League.
An injury to Gomez will only strengthen the German’s belief that the scheduling and number of substitutes teams can make needs to be changed.
Gomez’s injury would also be a blow to Southgate ahead of England’s Nations League games against Belgium and Iceland.
With Alexander-Arnold out injured and Reece James suspended, Kyle Walker had been expected to play at right wing-back for the Belgium and Iceland games leaving space for Gomez to start as one of Southgate’s back three.
Gomez was not expected to start Thursday night’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland in which Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope will be given a rare opportunity.