Arne Slot has revealed Diogo Jota is facing a month out for Liverpool.
Jota suffered a rib injury during the first half of a win over Chelsea and missed last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Premier League title rivals Arsenal as a result.
The Portugal international is one of two key attacking absentees for the Reds as they continue their Carabao Cup defence at Brighton on Wednesday.
Slot admitted that Jota is not expected back in contention until after the November international break while Federico Chiesa remains sidelined.
Speculation has abounded that the summer signing could be in line for a loan return to his native Italy in January after struggling to adapt to life at Anfield.
But Slot insists that Chiesa remains firmly in his plans despite conceding that the winger is still undergoing a lengthy process of rebuilding his fitness levels.
He said: “That hasn’t gone through my mind at all.
“First and foremost it is to get him fit again. In pre-season he was in low-intensity sessions as he was only training with three or four players.
“To go to a high-intensity league is difficult for every player. It hasn’t been perfect yet so we are trying to find the right way to build him up.
“I’m fully confident that will happen.”