Arne Slot says a serious shoulder injury to summer signing Jeremy Jacquet sums up Liverpool’s luck this term, with the defender facing season-ending surgery.
Jacquet may undergo surgery to correct a shoulder injury sustained in Rennes’ 3-1 loss to RC Lens on Saturday, with claims it could end his season.
It capped a rollercoaster week for the 20-year-old, who finalised a £60 million move to Liverpool, was knocked out of the Coupe de France, suffered his injury and saw head coach Habib Beye sacked in the space of eight days.
And asked about Liverpool’s miserable luck this season in his pre-Sunderland press conference, Slot alluded to Jacquet’s situation.
“It feels like [bad luck has come our way], that is for sure,” he told reporters.
“Even if we sign a player and he’s not even playing for us he gets injured!
“So yeah, sometimes it feels like that. But the moment you start to feel it’s all bad luck probably it comes to you as well.
“So we should keep it away as much as possible and just focus on the performance, focus on what we can do to improve it.
Jeremy Jacquet: Possible Shoulder Surgery Recovery Timeline
Phase Focus & Activity Duration
1. Protection Arm immobilised in a sling. Focus on managing swelling and maintaining base fitness through low-impact cardio (static bike) and lower-body gym work. Weeks 1-4
2. Range of Motion Sling removed. Passive and active-assisted movement programmes to regain flexibility in the joint without putting stress on the surgical repair. Weeks 4-8
3. Strengthening Resistance training begins. Integration of football-specific movement on the grass, including individual ball work, but strictly no contact. Month 3
4. Full Integration Return to full first-team training. Gradual introduction of contact drills, aerial challenges, and building confidence in the shoulder during duels. Month 4
5. Match Fitness Cleared for competitive fixtures. Usually involves building minutes with the U21s or as a late substitute before being considered “match sharp.” Month 4.5+
Note: As Jacquet is currently at Rennes, his progress will be monitored ahead of his official move to Merseyside for the 2026/27 pre-season.
“But the amount of times that we’ve conceded late goals in extra time is far more than usual.
“The question is, is it bad luck or are we to blame? I think I’ve tried many different things: I’ve made defensive substitutions and the ball went in, I kept playing the same players and the ball went in.
“We’ve tried a lot and I can fairly say that we haven’t been lucky. That would be true.
“Is it then unlucky or is this part of who we are? That is something we can only find out in the upcoming three to four months.”
What is Jeremy Jacquet’s injury and could he miss Liverpool pre-season?
2WW4J96 Assen, The Netherlands. 20th Mar, 2024. Jeremy Jacquet (6) of France pictured during a soccer game between the national under 19 teams of France and Belgium on matchday 1 in group 2 of the UEFA Under-19 Elite round on Wednesday 20 March 2024 in Assen, The Netherlands . (Photo by David Catry/Sportpix/Sipa USA) Credit: Sipa US/Alamy Live News
The specifics of Jacquet’s injury are as yet unknown but the young Frenchman suffered what is described as “serious” damage to his shoulder after an awkward fall in Rennes’ 3-1 loss to Lens.
French newspaper L’Equipe later reported that he may require surgery with doubts over whether he will feature again this season if that is the case.
Whether that will impact on his transition to Liverpool remains to be seen, but there are currently no concerns he could miss pre-season, only that his fitness would be managed.
Liverpool are expected to begin preparations for next season at the AXA Training Centre in early July, with reports suggesting they then plan to tour the United States including a possible friendly against Wrexham in New York City.