Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana set to miss England qualifiers with groin injury

Adam Lallana has "no chance" of being fit for England's upcoming 2018 World Cup qualifying double-header against Malta and Slovenia, according to club manager Jürgen Klopp.

The in-form midfielder started for Liverpool during their Premier League visit to Swansea City on Saturday (1 October), but was forced off for treatment after appearing to be hurt following a challenge from Leon Britton at the Liberty Stadium.

Lallana did re-enter the fray, but pulled up again just moments afterwards and headed straight down the tunnel before eventually being replaced by Daniel Sturridge.

Liverpool were trailing 1-0 when the 28-year-old, who had scored four goals in eight appearances before today, hobbled off, but eventually cancelled out Leroy Fer's opener and notched a fifth successive win in all competitions courtesy of a header from Roberto Firmino and a late James Milner penalty.

Addressing Lallana's injury and a late knock sustained by centre-back Dejan Lovren, Klopp was quoted as saying by Liverpool's official website after the full-time whistle: "Dejan was one of the last moments of the game. [It is a] groin [injury] for both, hopefully not that serious.

"Adam felt it, tried it again and it didn't work. In this moment they have no chance for the national teams. But hopefully, 16 days should be enough to bring them back onto the pitch for the next game.

"Things like this happen – there was no sign of it in the week. The pitch was a little bit wet, of course, so things like this can happen. It's not too nice but nothing else."

Lallana would have been considered a certainty to make Gareth Southgate's first squad as interim manager, which is due to be announced tomorrow.

The former Southampton captain boasts 27 senior international caps and scored his maiden Three Lions goal with a last-minute winner against Slovakia last month.

That Group F victory in Trnava proved to be Sam Allardyce's one and only match in charge after his truncated 67-day reign was brought to an end on Tuesday in the aftermath of an undercover sting from The Daily Telegraph.

Dejan Lovren, who missed Liverpool's 5-1 drubbing of Hull City last weekend due to a viral infection, recently returned to the Croatia squad after missing out on a place at Euro 2016 due to a feud with manager Ante Cacic.

He was left as an unused substitute for the 1-1 draw against Turkey in Zagreb and now looks set to miss out altogether on trips to Kosovo and Finland.