Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren will be out of action for up to three weeks, having aggravated a pelvic issue during the World Cup, manager Jurgen Klopp said. Lovren returned to Merseyside last week after helping Croatia to the World Cup final but has been unable to train with the first team.
"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," Klopp told reporters after Liverpool beat West Ham United 4-0 in their Premier League opener.
"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."
Lovren is likely to remain on the sidelines until after next month's international break, which means he will miss Liverpool's league matches against Crystal Palace, Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City.
On Sunday, last season's Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah was on target again as Liverpool began their campaign with an easy win at home to West Ham United. The Egyptian gave Klopp's side the lead after 19 minutes from Andy Robertson's precise low cross.
West Ham's new manager Manuel Pellegrini gave debuts to five of their 10 close-season signings, but his revamped team rarely threatened Liverpool's expensive new Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson. Poor defending cost them a second goal just before the interval, to Sadio Mane, who added a third after 53 minutes from an offside position. Substitute Daniel Sturridge made it four just seconds after coming on.
"We played as good as possible today and we extended a really good pre-season into the Premier League," Klopp told the BBC. "It was better than I could have expected. The performance of all the boys and the midfield of James and Georginio Wijnaldum was outstanding. It's only the middle of August and then in September the games will come. The future of football will be rotation. We need to be ready and have that quality."
