Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola faces a defensive dilemma right at the start of pre-season, after Joe Gomez was forced off with an injury during the club’s victory against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old defender was substituted early in the first half of the 4-2 win, raising immediate concerns over his availability for the start of the Premier League campaign.
The injury leaves Iraola with limited cover in central defence at a critical point in their summer preparations.
The timing of the setback is particularly troublesome given the recent structural changes within the squad, with Ibrahima Konate leaving the club on a free transfer at the end of June.
Although 21-year-old French defender Jeremy Jacquet has joined the club from Rennes, he is still working his way back to full fitness after spending five months on the sidelines with a serious shoulder injury.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old defender Giovanni Leoni remains unavailable for selection as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury suffered late last year.
Iraola acknowledged earlier last week that the club may need to adjust its transfer strategy to ensure adequate defensive cover before the transfer deadline.
“With the centre-back, right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are very thin right now, so it’s a solution that we are trying to find,” he said
While Milos Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk remain fully fit, the lack of senior depth behind them could force the Reds to re-enter the market for a versatile defender.
Medical staff in Chicago are currently assessing Gomez to determine the exact extent of the damage before deciding whether he will participate in the remaining US fixtures.
