NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez (L) Is greeted by head coach Andoni Iraola as he is substituted off during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Joe Gomez (L) Is greeted by head coach Andoni Iraola as he is substituted off during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Liverpool are awaiting the determination of the severity of Joe Gomez‘s latest injury, which Andoni Iraola described as the “worst news.”
Gomez missed seven games due to injury last season, and while available for the majority of the campaign, he played only 1,385 minutes in total.
His record with injuries is well-documented, and after just eight minutes in the first pre-season friendly, he dropped to the turf and was forced off.
The defender travelled back to the club’s base in Chicago after the match and will undergo tests to determine the extent of the damage on what appeared to be another muscle injury.
After the match, Iraola lamented the injury knowing his defensive depth is already thin. He told the club’s website: “Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe [Gomez].
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)
“We were happy because we were kind of going through all the training without losing any player. Unluckily for us, straight away we’ve lost Joe.”
It is unlikely, therefore, that Liverpool will utilise Gomez again during their US tour, which concludes in the coming week with games against Wrexham and Leeds.
The 29-year-old now joins a list of absentees and players being managed less than a month out from the Premier League opener at Newcastle.
Liverpool welcome 3 players back, but without 8 vs. Wrexham
Liverpool arrived in the US with several injured players, with Vitezslav Jaros, Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic, and Hugo Ekitike all recovering from respective issues.
Bajcetic made his return to training earlier in the week but will be carefully managed after sitting out for more than a year with a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, Iraola has explained Jeremy Jacquet is being carefully managed after his shoulder injury last season and will likely only be seen in the final friendly against Leeds next Sunday.
Thankfully, Liverpool have been bolstered by the return of Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak to pre-season training after their post-World Cup break concluded.
They return to training on Sunday in Chicago and could have a small role to play in the midweek friendly against the Championship’s Wrexham.
Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool USA Tour Day 6 – Liverpool FC v AFC Sunderland
Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool USA Tour Day 6 – Liverpool FC v AFC Sunderland
Bradley BARCOLA of PSG during the French Cup, round of 32 football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC on 12 January 2026 at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France – Photo Matthieu Mirville / DPPI
3DGXMTJ Bradley BARCOLA of PSG during the French Cup, round of 32 football match between Paris Saint-Germain and Paris FC on 12 January 2026 at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France - Photo Matthieu Mirville / DPPI
P2026-07-25-Liverpool_Sunderland-157
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola (L) and first team coach Tommy Elphick applauds the supporters after a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. Liverpool won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)