Liverpool returned to action last weekend in a disappointing 2-2 draw with newly-promoted side Fulham in the Premier League, but it wasn't just the result that was a cause for concern with Thiago Alcantara making an early exit from the pitch.

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Liverpool reporter for The Athletic James Pearce has revealed an update on Thiago Alcantara's injury status and the timeframe expected for the Spanish midfield to recover.

As per a report written by Pearce, Thiago is set to be sidelined for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained early into the second half at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Klopp should be worried

There is no doubt that Jurgen Klopp should be worried about the latest injury to his midfielder, especially after the dysfunctional performance displayed in the midfield against Fulham.

Possession of the ball was lost 40 times by the starting midfielders Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago, with the Liverpool captain making up for over half of that, losing the ball 21 times over his 90-minute performance against Scott Parker's side.

In fact, the side lost the ball 203 times in total compared to Fulham who lost possession 150 times, and Jurgen Klopp was quick to scathe the sloppy scenes from his players following the poor performance.

Klopp claimed in his post-match interview: "We got a point from a really bad game from my side.

"The attitude wasn't right in the beginning. We didn't deserve more. The performance needs massive improvement."

Despite not making more than seven bouts of illness and injury problems over the last two seasons, when Thiago is fit to play he has been the key to many of the team's incredible performances.

Liverpool have only lost eight league games where the ball-playing superstar has featured in the side over 50 appearances, with only one of those coming from last season, and in terms of the possession problems displayed by the team at the weekend, Thiago could be a huge loss in the centre of the pitch.

Last season in the Premier League, Thiago only lost the ball every 8.3 touches per game which was far better than his teammates, with Henderson losing the ball every six touches per game and Fabinho losing the ball every 7.6 touches a match.

With that being said, the injury to Alcantara will leave Klopp in a sticky situation as the manager may now need to dip back into the transfer market over the final weeks of the window to ensure his side doesn't fall too far behind their title competitors Manchester City over the coming weeks and months. This is certainly a worrying scenario for the German manager.