Klopp hoping Lovren injury is just cramp

Jurgen Klopp is hoping the knock suffered by Dejan Lovren during Liverpool’s crucial Champions League win over Salzburg is a not a serious one.

Lovren, who limped out of Liverpool’s 3-0 win at Bournemouth at the weekend in the first half because of cramp, was forced off 53 minutes into their 2-0 success in Austria, which clinched top spot in Group E.

Klopp believes Lovren may have been have affected by a recurrence of cramp, the German knowing his side can ill-afford to lose Lovren with their Club World Cup campaign looming.

“We hope Dejan is nothing serious,” Klopp told BT Sport.

He later added in a post-match media conference: “We hope that it’s exactly the same as last time. He felt something and we made the decision. It’s of course not cool.

“He played really well and was very important. We don’t know more in the moment. It felt similar like last time, that’s it. We have to see.”

Liverpool host Watford at the weekend and then face Aston Villa in an EFL Cup quarter-final clash in which they are expected to rest many of their senior players.

Following their trip to Villa Park, Liverpool travel to Qatar for the Club World Cup.