Liverpool injury news: Kevin Stewart limps off during training as Lucas Leiva returns

Liverpool have suffered a major injury blow ahead of their Europa League clash with Augsburg after young midfielder Kevin Stewart suffered an ankle injury during training. He made his debut for the Merseyside club during their 6-0 rout of Aston Villa on Sunday (14 February) and was expected to be part of the squad for their trip to Germany for their clash against the Bundesliga club on Thursday (18 February).

Jurgen Klopp was disappointed to lose Stewart after he limped out of training and admitted that it could be an ankle ligament injury, which could sideline the youngster for a considerable amount of time. They are still awaiting the results from a scan to ascertain the extent of the injury. Apart from him, the manager will also be without Adam Lallana, who is yet to recover from a calf injury. Lucas Leiva, however, has returned to fitness and could make the trip to Germany, which will be a boost to the manager.

"We lost Kevin Stewart in training. He blocked a shot and his ankle was not stable. It was a bit bruised so we have sent him for a scan. We think it's the ligament," Klopp said, as quoted by the Liverpool Echo.

"He trained outstandingly and then this happened. That's not too good. Lucas is back fit but not Adam. He has no chance for Thursday's game," the former Borussia Dortmund manager added.

The Anfield outfit are still without a number of key first-team stars, including Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Joe Allen, as they enter a crucial part of the season, with Europa League success their only hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season, as they are currently nine points behind Manchester City, who occupy the fourth and final qualification spot on the Premier League table.