Liverpool have been hit further by injuries to midfield pair Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera.
The Times says Liverpool's injury crisis has deepened with the confirmation that Riera and Benayoun are likely to be out of action for up to a month.
The midfield duo limped off during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Birmingham City on Monday night having suffered hamstring injuries.
Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, admitted after the game that he feared the worst and scans have revealed that both players have suffered hamstring tears.
Riera had missed Liverpool's previous five matches with a hamstring problem and his return to action against Birmingham had been a boost for Benítez. The fact that the Spain international has suffered a recurrence will come as a bitter blow, particularly with the in-form Benayoun receiving an almost identical injury.
In the next four weeks Liverpool face a testing fixture programme at home and abroad with Barclays Premier League matches against Manchester City, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, and Debrecen and Fiorentina in the Champions League. Benítez is now facing the possibility of going into those games without several of his senior stars.