Mamadou Sakho drugs test: Liverpool defender has 'let himself and his club down badly', says Jamie Carragher

Carragher was scathing in his assessment of Sakho's alleged anti-doping violation

(2016 Liverpool FC)

Jamie Carragher has hit out at Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho for his failed drugs test after accusing him of letting “himself and his club down badly”.

Sakho is due to respond to Uefa’s investigation into an alleged anti-doping violation on Tuesday with the 26-year-old likely to request his B sample be tested, with the deadline for any such request set for this afternoon.

It’s understood that Sakho has tested positive for a “fat-burner”, a substance that aids weight loss that is banned in most professional sports globally. Sakho is yet to be banned be either Liverpool or Uefa, but the club took the decision to leave the France international out of the squad that faced Newcastle at the weekend and will continue to do so until the case is resolved.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football coverage of Tottenham vs West Bromwich Albion on Monday night, Carragher rounded on Sakho and admitted his conduct was “not acceptable” for a Premier League footballer.

"It's a nightmare for the player,” said former Liverpool defender Carragher.

"I think he's let himself and his club down badly, because he was becoming a really important player for Liverpool.

"There are serious questions to be asked of him.

"He's had a great campaign. He's one of the leaders of the team now. You think of the Borussia Dortmund game, the Manchester United games especially, how well he played in those. It's now how Liverpool fill that void.

"But for a professional footballer - or any sportsman, really - it's not acceptable."

Sakho gave the positive test after last month's Europe League match at Manchester United (Getty)

Sakho gave the positive sample following Liverpool’s aggregate victory at Manchester United in the Europa League last month, but he looks certain to miss this week’s semi-final first-leg against Villarreal and his participation throughout the rest of the season looks highly unlikely with the former Paris Saint-Germain defender facing a possible ban.

Sakho’s Liverpool team-mate, Kolo Toure, failed a drugs test in 2011 after testing positive for similar diet pills and was handed a six-month ban from football, though he was able to return to the Premier League and deputised for Sakho in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle.

The defender admits he hasn’t discussed Sakho’s current situation with him, but admitted that was due to his own memories of his personal ordeal.

"I haven’t spoken with Mama to be honest," Toure told the Daily Mail. "But I’ve been there and it’s really difficult, definitely.

"I don’t want to remember that because it has been tough for me. I don’t even want to talk about that because it is very hard."