Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has paid a visit to a specialist in Germany over his ongoing knee injury, which has already kept him sidelined for the last two games, according to reports.
The Croatian missed the win over Tottenham Hotspur and the defeat to Hull City with the issue, that also denied him from travelling to La Manga with his teammates for their warm weather training camp.
Lucas Leiva has come in for Lovren - normally first-choice alongside Joël Matip - in his absence to mixed success and with the Reds sweating on his fitness, Lovren has been abroad for consultations.
No details have yet been reported as to whether Lovren's visit highlighted any serious problems, or revealed the timeline of his injury.
Lovren remains a doubt for Leicester trip
Jürgen Klopp suggested last week that Lovren could return to training by next week and he has yet to officially be ruled out of contention for the trip the King Power Stadium to face a struggling Leicester City side next Monday.
Yet the need for the 27-year-old to seek specialist advice, having recently played through the pain and relied upon rest and treatment to solve the issue, suggests Lovren won't be involved against the reigning Premier League champions.
That would be a blow for Klopp with Lovren and Matip remaining unbeaten together in the league and conceding only nine goals in 10 top-flight games.
Ragnar Klavan is another option to fill in for Lovren, now that he has recovered from a bout of illness that kept him out of recent games.
Liverpool's back-line has proved their biggest weakness against this season, although they have looked more organised when Klopp is able to consistently call upon Lovren and Matip.
Lovren has made 23 appearances for Liverpool this term, scoring twice, with the Merseyside outfit currently a point outside of the Champions League qualification places in the top-flight.