:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47634641/GettyImages-496293206.0.jpg)
Mamadou Sakho got an early start on the international break, deciding to not wait until the friendlies with England or Germany to get injured. Thankfully, scans on Monday put to bed fears the worst fears about his injury, and he will not be joining Danny Ings and Joe Gomez in the physio room with a season-ending ACL injury.
Instead, the prognosis according to The Echo, revealed ligament damage in the right knee, leaving him sidelined until mid-January. This is still a terrible loss, one that could call into question Liverpool's depth over the busy holiday period, including games in both of England's two domestic cup competitions. Until Kolo Toure recovers from his hamstring injury, Liverpool will be down to just two senior center backs.
While it's never a good idea to re-cage a lion, the timing is particularly horrible as the defender had been in arguably the best form of his Liverpool career under the new stewardship of Jürgen Klopp.
Sakho reportedly met with a consultant yesterday to determine the best course of treatment, and a timetable for recovery, although the details of the meeting were not disclosed.
The injury helps Liverpool top the league injury table, currently one injury shy of completing a full 11-man team.