JOE GOMEZ is feared to have suffered a similar knee ligament injury to Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk.
SunSport understands the initial worry for the Reds star is that he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament training with England.
Gomez, 23, will be sent for scans to determine the extent of the problem but the early indications are worrying for the central defender.
And the news will be a major blow for Liverpool, who have already lost captain Van Dijk for the rest of the season with his own ACL injury.
Van Dijk underwent surgery earlier this month to repair the damage to the ligament he suffered in a clash with Jordan Pickford during the Merseyside derby.
It is another worrying development for Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, who has seen his defence decimated by injuries.
As well as the absence of Van Dijk, superstar right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold faces up to a month on the sidelines with a calf injury.
The Reds have only just welcomed back Joel Matip to their depleted backline, but makeshift centre-back Fabinho is also out.
Midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also missing.
Liverpool have been forced to play 19-year-old Rhys Williams and last year's outcast Nat Phillips already this season.
Klopp will be fuming that Gomez suffered the injury in the run-up to an international friendly.
The German coach has previously spoken out against players' hectic schedules amid the truncated season caused by Covid-19.
Last week, he said: "We played [last month] after the international break at 12.30 on Saturday at Everton. Some of my players were coming back from Peru.
'These kind of things should not happen."
Gomez has started all but one of Liverpool's Premier League games this season.
But the former Charlton ace does have a chequered past with injuries.
He ruptured his ACL on England Under-21 duty in October 2015 before tearing ankle ligaments in March 2018.
The unlucky star went on to fracture his leg in the same year – missing the 2018 Champions League final.
The Reds continue their title defence against Leicester next weekend after the international break.
They also have Champions League clashes with Ajax and Atalanta on the horizon before a busy festive period in the Premier League.
England, meanwhile, face Republic of Ireland on Thursday night before Nations League clashes with Belgium and Iceland.
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