Kolo Toure has warned Liverpool teammate Mamadou Sakho to brace himself for a torrid time after a recent failed drugs test.
Sakho was withdrawn from the Reds’ squad that drew with Newcastle last weekend after it emerged that the France international defender had tested positive for a banned substance linked to fat burning.
Toure stepped into the breach left by the defender’s absence on Saturday and has personal experience from the ordeal after serving a six-month ban for a similar offence back in 2011.
And the veteran Ivorian has admitted that Sakho faces a tough road ahead, regardless of the outcome of a UEFA investigation.
He said: “I haven’t spoken with Mama to be honest.
“But I’ve been there and it’s really difficult, definitely.