Shoulder surgery could sideline Liverpool’s January signing Jérémy Jacquet for four to six months, potentially ruling him out of preseason.
That’s according to L’Equipe, who cover the situation today. The French newspaper reports that things are currently looking bleak for the Liverpool signing.
Jacquet suffered a left shoulder injury in Lens on February 7th. That’s something he’s been battling with since, with the decision finally made this week for him to undergo surgery.
He will undergo surgery this week, potentially ending his season early. Liverpool have been in consultation with him and Rennes over the situation. They had, seemingly, hoped that surgery would not be required.
Liverpool move agreed in January
The Reds paid €70m to sign Jacquet ahead of Premier League competition in January. The plan was to have him at Anfield for pre-season, so he could quickly integrate into Arne Slot’s squad ahead of next season.
Now, there are questions about when Jacquet will return. On the optimistic side of things, there is the case of Amine Gouiri.
He underwent shoulder surgery on October 20th and returned to play on January 4th. That return, after two and a half months, was sooner than expected. It showed that a quick return can be achieved, though.
What a French doctor thinks
Even with that timeframe, the season is already pretty much over. And, according to a Ligue 1 doctor, the likelihood is that a longer lay off is on the cards.
“If it’s an instability (dislocation or equivalent), you have to expect about five months for a return to normal contact, duels, challenges, and falling without problems,” he said.
“Four for those with a rapid rehabilitation plan and six in the case of a slow one.”
A five-month absence would mean a return at the beginning of August. Six months would mean a return at the beginning of September.
Given next season starts on 22nd August, that’s a clear problem for Liverpool.