Croatia confirm return date for injured Lovren

Matt Stead

Dejan Lovren faces around two to three weeks on the sidelines after injuring his knee playing for Liverpool, according to the Croatian FA.

Lovren had to be stretchered off with 10 minutes remaining of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Brom on Sunday, this coming after a tackle from Craig Gardner had left him with an open wound to his knee.

The central defender has undergone scans since the swelling has reduced, and his national team’s FA have confirmed that he could miss Liverpool’s festive fixture list.

Lovren has suffered “no structural damage,” according to the scans, but is certain to miss Premier League games against Watford and Leicester. The trip to Sunderland on December 30 could represent a potential return date for the 26-year-old.

Mamadou Sakho is likely to replace Lovren in the first team after completing a return from a knee injury of his own. The Frenchman has resumed full training for the Reds after missing the last seven games.