Iraola: Gomez injury is…

NASHVILLE — Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has expressed that the injury of defender Joe Gomez during Saturday’s 4-2 preseason win against Sunderland is “the worst news.” However, he remains optimistic about new recruit Jérémy Jacquet featuring in the club’s tour of the United States.

Jacquet, who joined Liverpool this summer for £55 million from Rennes, was rested for the match as a precaution after previously missing the end of last season due to a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, the club is anxiously awaiting updates on the extent of Gomez’s injury, which forced him to leave the pitch just eight minutes into the game.

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“Unfortunately, the worst news has been Joe’s injury right away,” Iraola told LFCTV after the match. “We were pleased to get through training without injuries, but now we’ve lost Joe early on.”

“With Jeremy, we chose to be cautious. He has had several months without play and has been training excellently; however, we want to ease him back in. He will likely participate in the last game of our U.S. tour, providing him with some playing time, but now we have lost another player,” he added.

In a press conference held earlier in Chicago, Iraola acknowledged that Liverpool’s defensive options seem “very thin,” especially following Ibrahima Konaté’s departure on a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer. Additionally, center-back Giovanni Leoni is still recuperating from an ACL rupture he suffered last September.

Meanwhile, captain Virgil van Dijk is set to report for preseason training next week, though he will not join the team in the United States and will instead begin his training at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.