New Liverpool midfielder Lucas will miss the World U20 Championships due to start today in Canada because of an injury that is expected to keep him out for three weeks.

The Brazilian midfielder had just returned from two months out injured, which had forced him to sit out most of the Copa Libertadores final that his side Gremio lost 5-0 on aggregate to Boca Juniors, seems to have picked up a knock during the last session of training forcing coach Nelson Rodriguez to drop his captain from the squad, picking Marcone of Vitoria Bahia instead.

Lucas is highly rated in Brazil and was expected to be one of the stars of this World U20 Championships having hugely impressed in the South American championships a couple of months back.