Soccer-Liverpool new boy Lallana to miss start of season

Reuters

LONDON, July 25 (Reuters) - Liverpool's new signing Adam Lallana will miss the start of the season after suffering a knee injury in training, the club said on Friday. Lallana, who left Southampton earlier this month for a fee of around 25 million pounds ($42.43 million), was hurt on the pre-season tour of the United States. The England midfielder, yet to feature in a pre-season match for Liverpool, does not require surgery but will not be fit in time for their opening Premier League game against Southampton on Aug. 17. "No specific time frame has been placed on a return to fitness but injuries of this nature can result in a spell of anywhere up to six weeks on the sidelines," the club said on their website (www.liverpoolfc.com). The 26-year-old Lallana, a member of England's World Cup squad in Brazil last month, is also likely to miss away league games against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. ($1 = 0.5892 British Pounds) (Reporting by Toby Davis; editing by Tony Jimenez)