Luis Diaz suffers further injury setback as he's sent back from Dubai camp

Liverpool's preparations for the Premier League’s return have suffered a major blow with Luis Diaz being sent back from their Dubai training camp injured.

The Colombia winger damaged his knee during the 3-2 defeat at Arsenal in October, an issue that Jurgen Klopp expected would take three months to heal.

Liverpool were relieved at the time that he had not suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage and had avoided surgery.

Diaz had been making good progress during his rehabilitation and had been running out on the grass in the 10 days before the Premier League’s hiatus.

He continued to work during the time Liverpool’s non-World Cup players were given to holiday and was in good form.

It had been anticipated that he would get some game time in Dubai, where Liverpool face Lyon on Sunday and AC Milan next Friday, to get ready for the opening fixtures against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and Aston Villa on Boxing Day but that plan is now on hold.

There is no disguising this is a significant setback for Klopp, who signed Diaz last January from Porto and saw him become a hugely important figure in the second half of last season, helping Liverpool win the domestic cup double.

As yet, there is no indication how long Diaz will be sidelined or if he will require surgery but the fact he has return to the United Kingdom indicates the severity. It is the latest chapter in a campaign that has been littered with injuries.

Diogo Jota, who would have been in Qatar with Portugal, suffered a major calf problem during the 1-0 defeat of Manchester City on October 16 but was included in the 33-man squad that Klopp took to Dubai.