Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has conceded that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has suffered a "serious" hamstring injury in the Reds' pre-season.
The former Arsenal man - who has been bedevilled by fitness issues during his time at Anfield - has not featured since coming off against Crystal Palace in Singapore on July 15.
Klopp confirmed at the time that Oxlade-Chamberlain had sustained muscular damage, but the severity of the midfielder's issue was not known.
Now, the Reds boss has admitted that Oxlade-Chamberlain's issue is a severe one, but he has not been able to put a timeframe on the 28-year-old's recovery.
"With Oxlade it will take longer. It's a serious hamstring injury and it will take longer," Klopp told reporters at a press conference ahead of Saturday's Community Shield clash with Manchester City.
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"But it's a hamstring, and we all hate this word, we hate the injury but anyway it happens from time to time and now Ox was the one."
Oxlade-Chamberlain has already missed 73 games for the Merseyside club through injury or illness since 2017, but the Reds are expected to keep him around this summer, in spite of his contract expiring in 2023.
Klopp also had bad news to share about the condition of second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who has been another notable absentee from the Reds' pre-season matches.
Kelleher initially sustained the issue while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland last month, and he will not be able to take to the field again for another couple of weeks after the problem flared up.
"Yeah, Caoimh felt something after the international game and everybody, the medical department there, told him it's fine and will be good after holiday," Klopp added.
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"He came back and first training [session] felt it again. We checked it and it was not good so I think Caoimh will be another two, three weeks and then he should be fine."
With Alisson Becker still sidelined by an abdominal problem, Adrian is set to be given the nod in goal for Saturday's curtain-raiser at the King Power.
Diogo Jota will also miss out for Liverpool after a recurrence of the attacker's previous hamstring problem, and it remains to be seen if Kostas Tsimikas will recover from a knock in time.
Following Saturday's battle with the Premier League champions, Liverpool will welcome Strasbourg to Anfield for their penultimate summer friendly 24 hours later.
Ben Knapton
