Sources: Liverpool's Lovren facing a month out, avoids serious injury
Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren escaped serious ligament injury following a tackle from West Brom's Craig Gardner, scans have revealed.
Lovren was caught by a heavy follow-through tackle from Gardner during the second half of Sunday's 2-2 draw with West Brom at Anfield.
Lovren needed oxygen as he was carried from the pitch, but later told Reds boss Jurgen Klopp the damage to his knee did not seem too bad.
And his optimism has proved justified, according to Sky sources, with scans showing no ligament damage.
A gash in the Croatia international's leg required five stitches, and there is still swelling and bruising around the knee.
That is likely to leave Liverpool without their center-half for the Christmas period, although there is no current timescale for his recovery.
Klopp and Tony Pulis did not shake hands at the final whistle on Sunday, but the former Borussia Dortmund boss did not blame Gardner for Lovren's injury.
"He [Gardner] played the ball, a millisecond before he hit Dejan [Lovren]," he said. "It was like this the whole game, on the edge of everything. But he played the ball."
