Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says midfielder Joe Allen will be ruled out of action for "a while" after picking a muscle injury.
The 25-year-old joins a number of key players on the sidelines as the Reds continue their struggle to secure a Top Four finish this season.
Striker Daniel Sturridge is however fit and could be in the starting line-up to face Aston Villa on Sunday.
"Joe [Allen] unfortunately is out for a while," Klopp revealed.
"I think he is a good example: he was in a good way - a really good way - and we tried to manage playing time after his injury when I came here.
"Then he was in good shape, got a little knock on the shoulder, played against Sunderland and I think in the perfect moment of his shape, the muscle stops. Not because of intensity, only because this is how it is.
"In an ideal world you have a long-term pre-season, then play without injuries and nothing will happen. But I think we have to wait a little bit for him, it's a muscle thing.
"[Lovren won't be fit] for Aston Villa but hopefully for the next game. It's not a big thing, it's more about a strange feeling in the muscle.
"It's the same – he was injured and pushed back. It's not a real serious thing, but for Aston Villa he has no opportunity.
"He [Daniel Sturridge] played around about 70 minutes at West Ham, so he had normal recovery afterwards in training.
"With less minutes he could have trained a little bit more, but he was involved in all the things with the players who played the full time against West Ham, like Divock Origi too.
"So it was good, he feels good and I have heard nothing else. Of course, we have to think about how we can manage the minutes and things like this, but he has made a big step in the last week.
"That's good, but up to now I've made no final decisions on the starting line-up or things like this. Until now, everything is like it should be."
