Liverpool suffer injury blow while Martin Skrtel arrives in Istanbul for transfer talks

Liverpool are going to be stretched in defence.

Liverpool could start the new season without Mamadou Sakho due to an Achilles injury while fellow centre-back Martin Skrtel has arrived in Istanbul ahead of his proposed move to Fenerbahce.

Only last week Sakho, 26, learned that proceedings opened against him following a failed drugs test in March had been dropped by UEFA, meaning he is now free to play having served an interim 30-day ban which saw him miss the Europa League final and cost him a place in France's Euro 2016 squad.