Liverpool dealt blow as Jurgen Klopp confirms Reds superstar will not be fit to face Manchester United after picking up injury

Alexis Mac Allister is apparently set to miss Liverpool's Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday (17 December).

The Argentine midfielder hit the deck multiple times in the Reds' 2-0 league win over Sheffield United on 6 December. Notably, he suffered a cut on his knee after being stepped on by a Blades player.

Mac Allister played on for several minutes before Jurgen Klopp decided to substitute him around the hour mark. It now seems that the tackle also impacted his bone, which is keeping him on the sidelines.

The 24-year-old missed his team's 2-1 league win against Crystal Palace on 9 December and will also sit out of their UEFA Europa League clash on Thursday (14 December). He may also be forced to miss the mouth-watering derby at Anfield this weekend.

So far, the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has 18 appearances since his £35 million transfer this summer. Speaking before his team's Europa League encounter against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Klopp said (h/t AnfieldWatch):

"I'm obviously not a doctor, but they explain it to me pretty much every day why he's not ready yet. It's a bit more tricky than we thought in the first moment. So, the other boy stepped on his knee and the stud went through the muscle onto the bone.

"...I've never had this injury for one of my players before but now we have it. I'd like to think it won't take that long but I'd like to say it's day by day. That would look like maybe he could play the next game but he will not be ready for that as well. But I hope the next three or four days he makes big steps and then we will see."

Liverpool currently lead the Premier League table with 37 points — five places and 10 points above Manchester United.

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Liverpool have UEL task before Manchester United encounter

Liverpool will have to deal with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise at Lotto Park in Belgium before they face Manchester United in Merseyside.

The Reds are already guaranteed to qualify for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League with a game to spare. They have 12 points from five matches and lead second-placed Toulouse by four points.

RUSG sit in third with five points while LASK Linz are bottom with three points to their name. Liverpool can, hence, afford to rest some of their key players given they will face Manchester United within three days after this Group E encounter.

The Reds reached the final of the competition under Jurgen Klopp in the 2015-16 season but lost to Sevilla in the final.