Emre Can suffers serious knee injury as former Liverpool star receives bad news

Former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has been ruled out for several months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during Borussia Dortmund's defeat to Bayern Munich

Emre Can has suffered a serious knee injury(Image: Getty Images)

Borussia Dortmund have announced that former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

The 32-year-old, who played in the 2018 Champions League final for Liverpool, was substituted shortly before the interval during the Der Klassiker loss to Bayern Munich, with the Bundesliga side now revealing the severity of his setback. A club statement read: "Borussia Dortmund will have to do without Emre Can for an extended period. The BVB captain suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his left knee during the Bundesliga match against FC Bayern Munich and will be sidelined for several months."

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl commented: "Emre's injury is extremely bitter. Not just for him, but for all of us.

"He is our captain, always puts the team first and is an important part of our club. Emre will receive all our support in the coming months so that he can make a full recovery."

Can registered 167 outings throughout his four-season stint on Merseyside, including three campaigns under iconic boss Jurgen Klopp.

Following his Anfield departure in 2018, he moved to Juventus before completing a loan switch to Dortmund 18 months afterwards.

Emre Can went off injured for Borussia Dortmund up against fellow ex-Liverpool star Luis Diaz's Bayern Munich(Image: Getty Images)

Can eventually finalized a permanent transfer to the German side shortly thereafter and has remained with the club for the past five years. It has been a difficult week for Can, with his significant injury compounded by two season-defining losses.

Just days before the Bayern clash, Dortmund was eliminated from the Champions League after Atalanta netted a last-gasp goal to clinch their playoff tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Having secured a top-eight finish in the league standings, Liverpool enjoyed a midweek break while awaiting its last-16 opponent. Arne Slot's players were ultimately handed a favorable draw, facing Galatasaray rather than Atletico Madrid.

Those two European knockout fixtures take place later this month, with the Reds first heading to Turkey before Anfield hosts the return leg.

The Premier League remains the immediate priority, with Liverpool claiming an emphatic 5-2 victory over West Ham, marking the team's fourth successive win across all competitions.

The Reds have an opportunity to extend that run to five on Tuesday when they face bottom-placed Wolves. The most recent of those victories was achieved without Florian Wirtz, who has been sidelined with a back injury, with Slot providing an update following the West Ham triumph.

He said: "I think [Tuesday] will be too early, but I said last week I didn't expect him not to be available for today [Saturday], so sometimes with an injury things can develop in a positive/negative way.

"Now we are thinking it doesn't have to take too long... the week after will be tight as things stand now."