Liverpool defender Joel Matip is set to miss the remainder of the season with a ruptured ACL.

Matip is facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines after injuring his knee in Liverpool’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Fulham on 3 December.

The former Cameroon international winced in pain and immediately signalled to the bench that he needed to come off in the second half following a challenge with Willian and a scan has now revealed the devastating extent of the damage.

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With Matip out of contract in the summer of 2024, it means the 32-year-old may have played his last game for the club, for whom he has amassed over 200 appearances since joining from Schalke in 2016.

Manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed: “It’s an ACL. Ruptured. That’s unfortunately what I expected from the first second. It looked like that. Very unfortunate, but that’s it.”

The defender will now undergo surgery before embarking on a lengthy rehabilitation programme.

Klopp and his players received the news about Matip prior to Wednesday’s hard-fought 2-0 victory over Sheffield United.

Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, who went off against Sheffield United, is a fitness doubt for Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace after needing stitches in a wound in his knee.

Ibrahima Konate deputised for Matip alongside captain Virgil van Dijk in Wednesday’s Premier League victory at struggling Sheffield United, with Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah other options for Klopp in the position.

When Klopp was asked about a potential timeframe for Matip’s injury after the Fulham match, the Liverpool boss said: “I don’t know exactly but it doesn’t look good.

“The scan hasn’t been done yet but it’s not great. From the first minute after when I spoke to him, it was clear that it wasn’t good. How long? We don’t know yet.”

However the scans have revealed that Matip will now be out of action for a significant period of time.

(Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)