Defender Virgil van Dijk's knee injury is "not good", according to Liverpool boss manager Jurgen Klopp.
Van Dijk was hurt in a heavy challenge by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford in the first half of Saturday's 2-2 draw.
The Dutch defender was unable to continue and will now see a specialist to discover the full extent of the injury.
Since his £75 million arrival from Southampton in January 2018, van Dijk has been Liverpool's leader and arguably the most crucial component in Klopp's side which won the Premier League this year and the Champions League in 2019.
The Reds are now sweating on news of their talisman, but according to beIN Sports it is not good news.
They announced at half-time of the Manchester City v Arsenal clash: “Information that we are receiving is that he’s done his anterior cruciate ligament and if that is the case he’ll be out for the best part of seven or eight months.”
While reports that van Dijk may miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury may end up proving overly pessimistic, the problem looks serious and van Dijk could end up being sidelined for months.
This would provide a headache for Klopp as he seeks to plug the massive hole in the Reds' defense
Fabinho may well be utilised as a defender in van Dijk's absence and the Brazilian has already proved in a recent game with Chelsea that he can play in a deeper role, which he may end up reprising in the forthcoming weeks and months, Daily Mail reports.
Klopp may also be considering bringing in youngsters such as recent signing from Ajax Sepp Van Den Berg or French teenager Billy Koumetio to fill van Dijk's shoes. English centre back Rhys Williams could also be an option.
But whoever finally gets the nod, replacing a superstar like van Dijk will not be an easy task and Klopp may well believe that Liverpool's chances of retaining their first Premier League title in 30 years appear slimmer as a result.
