Joe Gomez is expected to be out for up to six weeks after it was confirmed he suffered a fractured leg during Liverpool's 3-1 win over Burnley on Wednesday.

The England defender was hurt in the first half of the Premier League fixture following a tackle from Ben Mee and had to be substituted in the 23rd minute at Turf Moor.

Gomez, who ended up sliding into an advertising board following the initial contact, received treatment by the pitch before being carried away on a stretcher.

After further assessment by the club’s medical team at Melwood on Thursday, Liverpool have announced the 21-year-old has a fracture to the lower left leg.

The injury is expected to keep him out for the busy period of fixtures until the end of the year, including next week's crucial Champions League game against Napoli at Anfield as the Reds look to secure a place in the knockout stages.

The versatile Gomez will also miss the home clash against Manchester United on December 16, while Jurgen Klopp's second-placed side travel to leaders Manchester City on January 3.

Liverpool’s boss had aired his frustration at Burnley's physical approach after his team’s victory on the road, suggesting referee Stuart Attwell had failed to control the game on a wet night in the north west.

"The challenges from the beginning on the wet ground, the referee should have said something earlier," Klopp told BBC Sport. "I told him if you don't say 'be careful' they will keep going until something happens.

"The injury threat is hard, the first few challenges everyone likes and it is a part of football but it leads to the situation, no foul, what can I do, but Joe Gomez is injured."

However, when asked about the German’s comments at a media conference on Thursday, Burnley manager Sean Dyche strongly defended his players - and also responded by taking a shot at Daniel Sturridge for an alleged dive in the first half.

"I think Ben Mee's [on Gomez] was a fantastic tackle. I imagine a player who seems to be an honest player, in Gomez, realised that. That was the message we got after.

"We send him our best if any injury has occurred but it wasn't from a bad tackle.

"He [Klopp] didn't reference Daniel Sturridge’s cheating when he went down, nothing near him, and he got a free-kick for it."