CHICAGO, USA - Thursday, July 23, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet departs the team hotel in Chicago on day four of the club's pre-season tour of America. The team play friendly games in Nashville, New York and Chicago as they prepare for the start of the new 2026/27 Premier League season. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Thursday, July 23, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremy Jacquet departs the team hotel in Chicago on day four of the club's pre-season tour of America. The team play friendly games in Nashville, New York and Chicago as they prepare for the start of the new 2026/27 Premier League season. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Jeremy Jacquet was a notable absentee from Liverpool’s first pre-season matchday squad, and Andoni Iraola is not expecting him to play until the final game on tour.
Liverpool’s new centre-back signing had been expected to start alongside Joe Gomez as one of only two fit senior options available on Saturday night.
However, upon release of the team news before the win over Sunderland, Jacquet was notably missing despite having trained with the team throughout pre-season so far.
Iraola has since explained to All Red Video that a decision was made to “take it easy” with the Frenchman after the shoulder injury that ended his 2025/26 season prematurely.
“With Jeremy, we decided to take it easy with him,” Iraola confirmed. “He has been a lot of months without playing with a shoulder injury.
“So, I think we are going to take it easy with him. He will play probably the last game of this US tour, and he will have time to have minutes.
“It’s true that we were kind of happy, but we’ve lost one (Gomez) now.”
It means Liverpool will also be without Jacquet against Wrexham in midweek, before hopefully welcoming him into the fold against Leeds on the final stop of the tour next Sunday.
Beyond that, the Reds host Monaco (August 9) before a double-header against Como (August 16) in the lead-up to the season opener at Newcastle (August 23).
With Jacquet having failed to play since the start of February, the cautious approach from Liverpool is understandable; however, Iraola’s centre-back ranks are slim, to say the least.
Joe Gomez suffers injury 9 minutes into first friendly
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez receives treatment during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez receives treatment during a friendly match between Liverpool FC ans AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Joe Gomez added to Iraola’s woes after pulling up just nine minutes into the first pre-season match in Nashville, shining a bright spotlight on Liverpool’s needs in the transfer window.
New teenage signing Ifeanyi Ndukwe and fellow youngster Mor Talla Ndiaye were partnered together before left-back Luke Chambers was asked to slot into the left-sided role late on.
While Gomez’s history with injuries is well-documented, the patience needed with Jacquet and the new issue for Liverpool’s No. 2 only exacerbates the need for reinforcements.
As it stands, Virgil van Dijk, who is due to report back to training at the AXA in the coming week, is the only fit senior centre-back – and this is after playing more than 6,000 minutes last season.
Currently, PSG centre-back Illia Zabarnyi, who played under Iraola at Bournemouth, is the only defender linked.
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NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Federico Chiesa (R) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
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NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)