Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been ruled out for another two to four weeks after sustaining a calf injury in training.
Sturridge, 25, had only just recovered from a thigh strain he picked up whilst on England duty in September but he could now miss Liverpool's next seven games, including both Champions League meetings with Real Madrid and an important clash with league leaders Chelsea.
The England international, who scored 25 goals in all competitions last season, was expected to return in Liverpool's Premier League match against QPR on Sunday but will now be forced out until even longer, leaving the Reds with Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini as their main striking options as they face seven games in the next 21 days.
The thigh injury he sustained whilst on international duty led to a public dispute between Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers and England boss Roy Hodgson, which was further fuelled by the recent Raheem Sterling saga - but Rodgers will be keen to move on from all of that and ensure Sturridge's impact is not as hard felt as it was before, as the Reds won just three games from seven without him.