Liverpool fear they could be without forward Sadio Mane for the rest of the season after a scan of the knee injury he picked up in the Merseyside derby on Saturday proved inconclusive.

The Senegal international scored the opening goal in the 3-1 win over Everton at Anfield but was forced off with an injury midway through the second half.

Manager Jurgen Klopp suggested the player might only miss this week's game against Bournemouth. However, with the swelling yet to subside, a scan has failed to reveal the extent of the problem and with the diagnosis still unclear, Mane is likely to miss Saturday's game against Stoke. The big concern is that he could be out for even longer.

"Mane appeared positive when he left Anfield under his own steam and without any knee brace on Saturday but there are concerns the problem could be worse than first feared," says the Liverpool Echo.

"Liverpool are already without Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana through injury - the pair travelled to America as part of their rehabilitation this week - though Daniel Sturridge returned to full team training at Melwood on Monday," says adds the paper.

Losing Mane would be a big blow for Klopp. "While it is not believed to be a cruciate ligament injury, medical staff are getting more and more concerned that he will be out for several weeks," says The Independent.

"Liverpool suffered a dreadful plummet in form in January when Mane missed seven matches while at the Africa Cup of Nations, winning only once, and with only eight games remaining there are fears that his absence could have a similar effect in the chase for the top four."

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Liverpool injury news: Origi fit, Coutinho close to comeback

15 December 2016

Things are looking up at Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp's side went second in the Premier League with a convincing win over Middlesbrough. With the Merseyside derby against Everton looming this weekend, the manager has eased fears over the fitness of striker Divock Origi, who has scored in five consecutive games.

The 21-year-old Belgian has been pressed into service because of the injuries of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, but "Liverpool fans may have feared the worst when he was subbed off in the dying seconds [against Middlesbrough] appearing to be in pain", says the Daily Star.

After the match Klopp allayed their fears when he hinted the change was merely precautionary because Origi had gone down. "We wanted to change Sadio [Mane] but then Divock was on the floor," he said.

He admitted the striker had "a little knock and a little bit of pain" but said he did not think he was seriously injured and was expected to be fit for the Everton game on Monday.

There was more good news for Liverpool before the game at Boro when Coutinho, who was expected to miss the entire Christmas period, "set his sights on making his return from an ankle injury in the Premier League match against Manchester City on 31 December", according to the Daily Telegraph.

However, it's possible that Daniel Sturridge has played his last game for the Reds. The striker "is currently out with a calf problem with no set date for his return", reports the Daily Express, which adds that "West Ham have been linked with a move for Sturridge in the January transfer window".