It was the last piece of news that Liverpool fans would have wanted to hear over the international break.

With their season already having gotten off to a fairly slow start, a hamstring tear suffered by Sadio Mane on international duty with Senegal has darkened the mood further, with the fast, effective wide man set to be absent for the next six weeks.

Adam Lallana , another key man, is still a few weeks away from full fitness having not yet played this season, and so the blow will have left Jurgen Klopp with much to ponder over the coming weeks.

Mane will be missing for the Reds in the next month and a half (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)
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Manchester United come to Anfield on Saturday, and here are five options for Klopp both for that clash and beyond.

Move Philippe Coutinho into the attack

Could the Brazilian be on the move again? (
Image:
Andrew Powell)

The Brazilian has shone in a deeper midfield position both at the tail end of last season and beginning of this one, but he might well be needed further forward for the next few weeks.

Coutinho played there and impressed in the first half of the League Cup defeat to Leicester, and it might be that that's where he starts against United as Klopp opts for a bit more steel in midfield.

Finally unleash Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

It's been a rough few weeks for this man (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

Partly because of the nature of his departure from Arsenal and partly because, well, he's not been playing well, these have turned into a difficult few weeks for the internet's favourite new punching bag.

But Mane's injury opens up two new possibilities for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who could either play as his direct replacement in attack or drop into the centre of midfield, with Coutinho moving forward.

He'll need to take his chance.

Move Roberto Firmino left and pick a "true" No. 9

The Brazilian could be switched from the centre (
Image:
Reuters)

After a fine start to the season, Roberto Firmino's form has trailed off a bit in recent weeks, so much so that Klopp ended up doing what he's always loath to do and dropped him to the bench for the trip to Newcastle.

His best football for Liverpool has always come when he has played down the middle, but a switch to the left could now accommodate a new forward in the Reds' system, most likely Daniel Sturridge but maybe Dominic Solanke.

Play a diamond midfield

Mo Salah could sparkle at the top of a diamond for Liverpool (
Image:
Nick Taylor)

Klopp experimented with a diamond midfield towards the end of last season, most notably when Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi played upfront at West Ham and both scored.

He could try the same thing but with Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah upfront and Coutinho behind, with Firmino's intelligence seeing him drop into clever spaces and Salah's pace stretching the game.

Trust Ben Woodburn

Is this the youngster's time to shine? (
Image:
Liverpool Echo)

He won't be 18 until the end of the month, but after being seen more often in his country's shirt than his club's this season, this might be the time for Woodburn to shine.

Like Coutinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain, Woodburn can play both in midfield or wide left, and he could be added to the rotation with those two over the coming week, with perhaps next week's Champions League trip to Maribor the perfect game for him to come in for.

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