Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed goalkeeper Alisson will be sidelined for “the next few weeks” with the calf injury he picked up against Norwich.

The Brazil international was an ever-present for the Reds in the Premier League last season, but he was forced off after just 39 minutes of their opening match of the new campaign on Friday. Klopp confirmed after the match that Alisson was unlikely to feature against Chelsea in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, but he has now delivered a slightly more downbeat update on when the 26-year-old will be able to return.

“[It’s] Not too cool. It’s a calf injury which takes him obviously out for a while,” Klopp told the Liverpool website. “I don’t want to make now [an] exact prognosis on when he will be back but it will not be Wednesday for sure, so now then we have to see. It takes a while, it takes a couple weeks for sure, and we have to see.”

Klopp’s prognosis means that Alisson is likely to miss the upcoming Premier League games at Southampton and Burnley, as well as the home clash with Arsenal on August 24. Adrian was the man that replaced Alisson between the sticks against Norwich, coming on for his debut just days after joining on a free transfer.

The Spaniard is expected to remain between the sticks in Alisson’s absence, although Liverpool are considering signing the experienced Andy Lonergan, who was part of their squad for the pre-season tour of the United States.

Liverpool are priced at 3.80 to wrestle the Premier League title away from Manchester City this season and they will be hoping the absence of Alisson does not prove too significant in what is expected to be a closely fought race.