Former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor has backed summer signing Adam Lallana to bounce back from the injury setback which has ruled him out of the start of the season.
The England international, a £25million arrival from Southampton last month, picked up a knee problem during a training session in the Reds’ pre-season preparations in the USA.
It is not thought that he requires an operation but the damage to his lateral collateral ligament is likely to be enough to sideline him for at least six weeks, representing an early blow for the Merseyside giants.
Retired forward Mellor, who is now a television pundit, played for Liverpool between 2002 and 2006 after coming through the youth system.
He said on Twitter: “Not good to hear injury to Lallana. A slight delay to his Liverpool career but his quality will be evident throughout the season when he is back fit.”
Lallana now looks certain to miss the crunch trip to champions Manchester City in the second game of the season on Monday, August 25.
He could also be absent for the start of England’s Euro 2016 qualification campaign, meaning the 26-year-old is set to lose some of the momentum he enjoyed at international level when he broke into the World Cup side this summer.