Liverpool ace Nathaniel Clyne sees hopes of Crystal Palace return dashed by knee injury

Clyne, 28, underwent a scan after going off injured in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in Indiana in the United States last Friday.

And results have shown he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, meaning he is facing six to nine months on the sidelines.

While the rest of the Liverpool squad are in New York to continue their pre-season tour of the US, Clyne has gone back home.

It marks a huge blow for the defender who is unsettled on Merseyside but attracting interest from former employers Palace, who are looking for a replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 21, following his £50million move to Manchester United.

Clyne is not expected to be out for the whole of next season but the injury kills any hopes he had of returning to south London this summer.

The second half of his spell at Anfield since moving from Southampton in 2012 has been blighted by injuries and he has managed just seven Premier League appearances for the club since the start of the 2017-18 season.

Clyne was sent to Bournemouth on loan in January but they showed little interest in a permanent deal.

However, Palace – where he came through the youth ranks – were hopeful of taking him back in a bid to rejuvenate his career.

The former England right-back has just one year left on his contract at Liverpool and would have been available for between £10-£15m.

But he will now have to concentrate on getting back to fitness before thinking about his next move, which is unlikely to come next January either.

Palace have also been linked with highly-rated Chelsea youngster Reece James, 19, to fill the void left by Wan-Bissaka.

They are even reported to have submitted a bid of £20m that was rejected by the Blues.

Manager Frank Lampard is said to be keen to keep James as he looks to integrate more young players with the club currently under a two-window transfer ban.

Arsenal’s Carl Jenkinson is another reported target for Palace.

He could be used in a player-plus-cash deal that takes Wilfried Zaha to the Emirates.