Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, said defender Joe Gómez will miss “great parts” of the rest of the season with an injury to the hamstrings that may require surgery.
The center of England was replaced after 11 minutes in the defeat of the fourth round of the Liverpool FA Cup by Plymouth Argyle on February 9.
Gómez was making his first appearance after six weeks with an earlier problem of hamstrings.
The club has not yet decided if Gomez, 27, who has limited himself to 10 beginnings this season, requires an operation.
But Slot said he “could”, and the defender will be out for a long period whether or not an operation is required.
“It’s a great blow to Joe and us,” Slot said.
“He works very hard to return and then the first game when he returned after two or three minutes we saw him doing a sprint and now he is out for weeks again.
“So it is always very difficult for a player in each part of the season, much less a part of the season that everyone expects.
“Large parts of the end of the season will be lost, but we hope you return in the final phase of the season.”
Liverpool faces Aston Villa in Villa Park on Wednesday (19:30 GMT), when they wait to go to 10 points at the top of the Premier League table with a victory.
Cody Gakpo, who lost Sunday’s 2-1 victory against Wolves in Anfield due to a blow, remains absent for Liverpool.
