Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho withdraws from France squad after suffering knee injury

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has withdrawn from the France squad after suffering a sprained right knee in his side's defeat to Crystal Palace on Sunday 8 November. Sakho, 25, initially attempted to continue after falling awkwardly from an aerial challenge, returning to the pitch after receiving treatment despite Dejan Lovren being ready to replace him on the sidelines.

The France international was forced off before half time though, and left Anfield on crutches later that evening. The French Football Federation has since confirmed the former Paris Saint-Germain defender has not travelled to France's training camp at Clairefontaine, remaining in England to undergo an MRI scan.

Saint-Etienne centre half Loic Perrin has been called up to replace the Liverpool defender, who will miss friendlies against Germany and England.

Sakho, who signed a new long-term deal with the Merseyside club in September, previously appared to be unsettled at Anfield. He started just 15 Premier League games under Brendan Rodgers last season, later describing himself as like a "caged lion who had not been fed" when discussing the treatment he received from the former Reds boss. He has since played every minute under new manager Jurgen Klopp since the German's arrival in October.

Liverpool missed the chance to move to within six points of league leaders Manchester City on Sunday, suffering their third consecutive defeat to Palace. Yannick Bolasie opened the scoring after 21 minutes, capitalising on some poor defending, before Philippe Coutinho equalised just before half-time.

Liverpool-born defender Scott Dann powered in a header at the second attempt with eight minutes of the match remaining to consign the Reds to their first defeat of the Klopp era and leave them sat in 10<sup>th in the Premier League table.