Liverpool midfielder Arthur Melo could be facing up to four months on the sidelines amid reports he is expected to undergo surgery on an injury this weekend.
The 26-year-old has only made one substitute appearance for the Reds since joining the club on loan from Juventus on transfer deadline day, earning 13 minutes of match action during the club's dismal Champions League defeat by Napoli last month.
Arthur was missing from the matchday squad for Liverpool's European clash with Rangers earlier this week, prompting questions over why he was absent, with Jurgen Klopp explaining on Friday this was due to an injury the player sustained during Monday's training session.
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Such is the seriousness of this setback, the Brazilian international may not be seen until 2023, with any hopes of representing his country at the upcoming World Cup looking to have been ended. The decision for the Juventus loanee to have an operation was taken by the Reds' medical department, according to The Athletic.
In a bid to boost his chances of building match fitness, Arthur played in an under-21s league fixture versus Leicester City last month followed by an appearance against Rochdale in the EFL Trophy just days later. His attitude to making an impression on Klopp was praised by Liverpool under-21s coach Barry Lewtas, who told reporters : "Arthur has been in over the international break to play games and build up his fitness," says Lewtas. "That's off his own back, so that shows his level of professionalism. He has been great with the lads as well. He has been first-class.
"In training on Monday he was excellent, he really drove the lads and as a matchday minus one, it's probably the best one we've had.
"He wants to get fit, he doesn't need a week off, so it's come from him. He doesn't speak Scouse and I don't speak Portuguese, but I think you can tell from the body language. In the meetings we went through some extra things and cleared a few things up. He has embraced it."
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