Sebastian Coates
Coates will miss much of the season.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has been forced to redirect his focus in the summer transfer window after defender Sebastian Coates was ruled out for most of the season with a knee injury.

Coates made just 12 appearances for The Reds last season in Rodgers' first campaign at Anfield but after the retirement of Jamie Carragher was expected to play a more prominent role this season.

Kolo Toure was recruited on a free transfer as one of five new additions this summer which include Luis Alberto, Iago Aspas, Simon Mignolet and Aly Cissokho, with Rodgers seeking further attacking resources at Liverpool during the remainder of the transfer window.

But the Northern Irishman, who is building a Liverpool squad which is hoping to challenge for a Champions League place, says he may have to turn his attention to replacing Coates.

"I feel for big Seba because he's obviously played the latter part of the game and picked up a similar injury to what Martin Skrtel had last year," the boss told reporters on Thursday.

"It's probably going to rule him out for most of the season, which is disappointing for him.

"He's never given me a minute's problem since he's been here and this was probably a year where he needed to go out and play. Unfortunately that will put an end to that.

"It's something that we're looking at, certainly, a player to come in in that position. It's to strengthen the squad but also to allow some of our younger players to develop.

"For us to maximise Andre Wisdom and his talent, I need to get him some games.

"The idea is to get him out on loan; but I can only do that if we bring in someone with a bit more experience to come in and support the group. It's two-fold really. It's certainly a position we're looking at."

"Over the course of the summer, we have been very ambitious in our attempts to try to get in players to improve the team," Rodgers added.

"Some might say too ambitious but this is Liverpool football club - we are trying to get the best players that we possibly can. If we can't get them in, we just have to move on.

"We've got 11 days to go, we have to do everything we possibly can.

"It hasn't changed; if you're going to climb the league, you have to have quality and you have to get the best players you possibly can into your club to help you climb. That's our aim.

"Of course if you don't get the player you want, there's always that initial disappointment but you can't dwell on it. There's still a chunk of the window left.

"We've done some business early on in the window, which was very good. Now if we can finish off in these remaining days and get some players in that can help us, it would end a very good window for us."