Liverpool Forced to Withdrawn Dejan Lovren From Last 2 Games at Last Second Due to Back Injury

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is understood to have been withdrawn from the Red's previous two games at the last minute due to an ongoing back injury which continues to wreak havoc on the Merseysider's defensive woes. 

As Liverpool's defence continues to be ripped apart seemingly at will by the opposition, Jurgen Klopp's side have failed to win any of their previous four games and he will no doubt be scouring low and high for a solution, but that seemingly may not involve the Croatian centre-back.

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According to the Telegraph, Lovren has been suffering with a back injury since the international break at the start of the month and as a result was named on the bench for Liverpool's heavy 5-0 defeat to Manchester City. 

The 28-year-old did make his return for Liverpool's first Champions League group game against Sevilla, but his mistake led to the visitors' opening goal in the 2-2 draw. 

He has since failed to make an appearance for the Reds as he had to pull out of the games against Burnley and Leicester at the last minute due to the back issue - causing a last minute selection headache for Klopp. 

The lack of a stable defence has hindered any hopes of Liverpool arresting their poor defensive record, as Ragnar Klavan and Joe Gomez both had to be drafted in to cover for the absence of his senior defender.  

Lovren is known for missing games due to a host of injuries whilst at Liverpool, an ever worrying theme especially considering the Reds' concede fewer goals and have a higher win rate when he is on the field. 

Klopp's problems at the back have all been accentuated by the inability to regularly field his first choice central pairing of Lovren and Joel Matip - who have played just 19 games together since the latter's arrival.

The inconsistency in selection due to injury has hindered Liverpool's start to the season as they failed to bring in reinforcements in the centre-back position through the summer and the Reds are hopeful Lovren will return on Saturday to help inflict revenge on Leicester after they knocked them out of the League Cup on Tuesday.