Liverpool dealing with ‘the worst news’ as Andoni Iraola makes transfer demand
Sport
Samuel Meade Sports Brand Writer
08:19, 26 Jul 2026
New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola admits Joe Gomez’s pre-season injury was “the worst news” as the defender failed to play ten minutes
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The Reds were playing in Nashville, seeing off fellow Premier League side Sunderland 4-2, but they’ve been dealt a major injury blow. Gomez has had his fair share of fitness issues and is again facing time on the sidelines, raising further issues about the team’s backline options
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Liverpool now face a nervous wait to discover the severity of Gomez’s injury with the 29-year-old only starting seven times in the Premier League last season
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Iraola has just taken over from Arne Slot and inherited a squad that has had Jeremy Jacquet added to it. The young defender was signed in January from Rennes but remained at the French club until the end of the summer, but their depth at the back is now being tested
READ MORE: Liverpool summer signing Jeremy Jacquet claims new team-mate is ‘off his head’
READ MORE: Liverpool news: Yan Diomande informs Andoni Iraola of decision as Reds boss given £51million answer
Iraola told LFCTV: “Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe. We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we’ve lost Joe straight away
“With Jeremy we decided to take it easy with him, he’s had a lot of months without playing, he’s been training very well, but we’re going to take it easy with him. He will play probably in the last game of this U.S. tour, he will have time to have minutes, but we were kind of happy, but we’ve lost one now.”
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Jacquet, who set the Reds back £55 million, was ruled of Liverpool’s win as a precaution having missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury
In light of Gomez’s injury Iraola admitted after their win in the US that Liverpool’s defence is “very thin” – which comes after Ibrahima Konate left for Real Madrid on a free. Giovanni Leoni is still working his way back to fitness after rupturing his ACL last September
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ESPN reports that Liverpool did not see the signing of a centre-half as a priority even if they did lose Konate, but their latest injury could force them into a change. Defensive leader Virgil Van Dijk has just turned 35 but only has one year left on his contract
