Phil Thompson fears the situation surrounding Mamadou Sakho could have a disruptive influence on Liverpool. The Reds had embarked on a four-match winning run, including a stunning comeback victory over Dortmund and a 4-0 thumping of rivals Everton, before it emerged on Saturday that UEFA were investigating an alleged anti-doping violation by the defender.Jurgen Klopps men then let a two-goal lead slip at home to Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday, when the France international was left out of the squad at Anfield, although he has not been suspended either by Liverpool or UEFA. It will be a big loss but I think it gives Skrtel a chance to get back in the side, potentially until the end of the season if it goes badly for Sakho. Phil Thompson Sakho apparently will not contest the result of his positive drug test and now faces the possibility of a ban if found guilty.While acknowledging the defenders absence will be felt on the pitch, Thompson fears a greater problem exists in how the case affects the club ahead of their Europa League semi-final first-leg tie at Villarreal on Thursday.He told Sky Sports: I think the big thing for Liverpool as a whole is that it could be disruptive to all the positive vibes that have been around the team and you could do without it. Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool can only wait and find out what punishment Mamadou Sakho will face Its taking the focus away from what has been achieved and Klopp has got to try and regroup the players in mind and body, but hes absolutely the right man for it.Sakho and Dejan Lovren had established themselves as Klopps first-choice centre-back pairing and Thommo is hoping that Martin Skrtel can fill the void left by Sakho. The Press Association understands that Mamadou Sakho wont challenge the results of his failed drug test after Liverpools game with Manchester United In footballing terms, Sakho will be a big miss, the Soccer Saturday pundit added. Hes had his ups and downs but I think everybody has responded to his passion and commitment when it comes to defending and his influence has been massive.It will be a big loss but I think it gives Skrtel a chance to get back in the side, potentially until the end of the season if it goes badly for Sakho. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes Mamadou Sakho has let everyone at Liverpool down Also See: Sakho accepts drug test result Benteke could make return Villarreal v Liverpool preview Reds are favourites Luke Kunin Jersey . The 23-year-old Woods, Tiger Woods niece, closed with a 4-under 69 at Royal Pines to finish at 16-under 276. Lee also shot 69 in the event sanctioned by the European and Australian tours. Woods birdied the par-5 15th to open a two-stroke lead, hitting a wedge from about 120 yards to 4 feet. Zach Parise Jersey . Marie rink got back in the win column at the Olympic mens curling tournament with a 7-4 win over the host Russian squad on Wednesday. http://www.authenticwildpro.com/Jason-zucker-wild-jersey/ . Costa injured his right thigh muscle against Barcelona last Saturday and had sought treatment in Belgrade from a doctor specializing in using fluid derived from horse placenta to repair damaged cells. J.T. Brown Jersey . Granlund scored 2:04 into the first period. Max Reinhart, on his first NHL shift of the season, neatly stripped the puck from Zack Smith at the Senators blue-line. As he moved in, his attempted shot deflected into the slot where Granlund buried a shot past Craig Anderson. Eric Staal Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson has a sixth NASCAR championship in hand and two legends within reach.Denny Morrison is having the Olympics of a lifetime. Three days after taking silver in the mens 1,000-metre long track speed skating event at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Morrison has added a bronze to his cabinet, this time in the 1,500 metres on Saturday. "Its been a long road with a lot of persistence and its finally paid off," an elated Morrison told CBC Sports after the race. Morrison, skating 15th of 20 pairs, capitalized on a strong opening lap to lay down a time of one minute, 45.22 seconds, and was the leader until Polands Zbigniew Brodka topped it for gold in 1:45.00. "What Ive found [in 1,500-metre races] is that I cant go out slow and conservative and try to beat the other guys who finish strong, I have to go out my way – go out fast, and just hang on," Morrison said. "And I was able to hang on just enough." There was more drama to come in the final pairing. Dutch skater Koen Verweij finished in a dead heat with Brodka, crossing the line in 1:45.00 as well. When the times were adjusted, Brodka ended up with the gold medal, a mere three thousandths of a second ahead. But it also meant that Morrison had his medal, after an agonizing wait to see if any of the 10 skaters after him could take his place on the podium. "It is [excruciating], you already want to puke," he said. "Youre already so tired and hurting, but man does it feel good to win [a medal]." Mathieu Giroux of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Que., finished in 19th in 1:47.65. Lukas Makowsky of Regina placed 28th in a time of 11:48.dddddddddddd.51. Teenager Vincent de Haitre of Cumberland, Ont., was 33rd in 1:49.42. Morrisons bronze puts Canadas medal count at 12, with four gold, five silver, and three bronze. Morrison, Giroux and Makowsky are expected to compete in the team pursuit event next week, as they attempt to defend their gold medal from the Vancouver Olympics. Morrisons efforts have been one of the highlights of the Olympics so far for Canada. Not even scheduled to compete in the 1,000-metres after falling in the event at the Canadian trials, Morrison was given a spot in the race thanks to teammate Gilmore Junio, who gave up his. The Fort St. John, B.C., native fully took advantage of the opportunity, taking silver in the 1,000 metres behind Stefan Groothuis of the Netherlands. Defending Olympic champion Mark Tuitert of the Netherlands finished fifth. American Shani Davis continued his disappointing 2014 Olympic campaign with an 11th-place finish. Canada now has two medals in long track, both from Morrison. The Dutch team has dominated the proceedings at Adler Arena, taking four gold and 13 medals so far in only seven races, matching the record set by East Germany in the 1988 Games in Calgary. With five long track events still remaining, the Netherlands will likely surpass that mark in the coming days. To compare, the other nations have eight long track medals combined. Its a big turnaround for the Dutch team from their Vancouver effort in long track, where it finished well below expectations with three gold and only seven medals total. ' ' '