Arne Slot has revealed that Joe Gomez received a knock to a bone when he collided with Alisson Becker in Liverpool's 3-2 loss against Bournemouth.
With Champions League qualification at stake this season, the Reds were in need of a win in the Premier League against the Cherries on Saturday, but they instead suffered a 3-2 defeat at the Vitality Stadium.
Slot will be particularly disappointed by the manner of the the hosts' opener in the 26th minute considering Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez failed to clear the ball.
The latter two players collided in that moment, and Gomez was unable to continue despite receiving treatment.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Slot cast doubt on whether Gomez would be able to train in the next few days, saying: "Joe got a knock from Ali, his knee went somewhere over here [points to his side and stomach].
"I think it was bone on bone and you could see he was just not able to continue. Ali had swelling in his knee. I don’t know if Joe is going to train in two or three days, that’s difficult for me to say. But it was clear he couldn’t go on today."
Liverpool are set to face Qarabag at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday, and they may need to win that match in order to qualify automatically for the round of 16.
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Liverpool transfer news: Defensive crisis upon Arne Slot
If Joe Gomez is unavailable for any extended period, his absence could be devastating for Slot given the only other centre-back available to him against Bournemouth was Virgil van Dijk.
He did have three full-backs in the squad, though Andrew Robertson may imminently complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur.
Ibrahima Konate could return to the team soon, but considering he was left out of the last two squads due to the death of his father, it would be unfair to place any expectations on him.
Though Marc Guehi signed for Manchester City, failure to sign a defender this month would undoubtedly be negligent.
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Will Liverpool qualify for Champions League?
Should results on Sunday go against the Reds, they could end matchweek 23 in eighth place, though the gap to the top four would only be two points even in the worst case scenario.
Liverpool are averaging 1.57 points per game in the Premier League this season, and since three points per win began in 1981-82, no side has ever finished in the top four with that tally or lower.
The signs are not promising for the Merseysiders, and with games against Newcastle United and Manchester City next, they could soon find themselves trailing significantly in the race for the top four.
Slot will argue that fans should have more confidence given the team's loss against Bournemouth was their first in 14 games, but it was the fifth consecutive match that they failed to win in the Premier League.
If Liverpool are at serious risk of missing Champions League football over the next few weeks, then a decision about Slot's future may need to be taken.