Liverpool have confirmed striker Florent Sinama-Pongolle will be out of action for a “lengthy period” because of the knee injury he collected during Tuesday’s Carling Cup victory over Watford.

Pongolle, 20, tore his anterior cruciate ligaments and now joins the growing injury list at Anfield which includes Djibril Cisse, Harry Kewell and Xabi Alonso.

Manager Rafael Benitez said: “We have not had the best of luck with injuries of late and this is another blow.”

Cisse is out for the season with a broken leg, while Alonso looks likely to miss the rest of the campaign after suffering a broken ankle.

Benitez may be forced into the transfer market as a result with unsettled Newcastle striker Craig Bellamy, a possible target.