Andoni Iraola was already facing an injury crisis before Liverpool made its move for Ronald Araujo, and he may still have to take some advice from his predecessor Arne Slot
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - JANUARY 24: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Arne Slot, Manager of Liverpool, and Andoni Iraola, Manager of AFC Bournemouth, exchange handshakes prior to the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Liverpool at Vitality Stadium on January 24, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arne Slot faced similar problems to Andoni Iraola during his time in charge of Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
The new season hasn’t even begun yet, and already Andoni Iraola has a very familiar problem on his hands at Liverpool.
In just two weeks’ time, the Reds will be on the eve of their opening game of the 2026/27 campaign, but it doesn’t exactly feel like they’re ready for it. For one thing, they still haven’t got a replacement for Mohamed Salah on the right wing.
If Bradley Barcola or Ibrahim Mbaye haven’t been signed by the time the trip to Newcastle arrives, then Iraola at least has options. Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa are both more than capable of filling that gap, but there is another pressing issue.
Before news broke of Ronald Araujo's impending arrival, Liverpool was facing up to the very real possibility that only one senior center-back would be ready in time for the start of the season.
Joe Gomez is definitely out, Giovanni Leoni hasn’t returned to training yet as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury, and Jeremy Jacquet is yet to play any minutes this summer, despite reporting for preseason earlier than most.
With doubts surrounding the Frenchman’s involvement against Monaco, it’s looking less and less likely that he will be able to start at St. James’ Park. If he misses tomorrow’s game at Anfield, the best-case scenario is probably that he gets 45 minutes or so against Como next weekend, which certainly isn’t ideal for someone stepping into the Premier League for the first time.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 2: Liverpool FC Head Coach Andoni Iraola concentrates after the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field on August 2, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola is already facing an injury crisis in defense before the season has even begun(Image: Michael Miller/ISI Photos, ISI Photos via Getty Images)
All Iraola can really do now is wrap Virgil van Dijk and Araujo up in cotton wool over the next couple of weeks and hope that they get enough of an understanding of each other to start at the heart of the defense.
An injury crisis is not a new problem at Liverpool, although this one does feel much more self-inflicted than previous occasions. Anyone could have looked at the Reds’ squad heading into the summer and recognized that the back four needed bolstering, and Araujo certainly feels like a stop-gap rather than a planned deal.
Even with the Uruguayan coming on board, Iraola is still only one injury away from having to find other ways to fill a gap in one of the most important areas of his team, and might well have to follow his predecessor’s lead in order to patch up his defense.
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Arne Slot found himself in equally tricky spots last season, with Leoni’s injury in September having left him with just three center-backs for the remainder of the campaign.
The Dutchman didn’t seem too flustered at the prospect of running out of options though, even with Gomez’s poor injury record and Ibrahima Konate’s patchy availability in years gone by.
"Ryan (Gravenberch) and Wata (Endo) can play there," Slot rather bluntly said early on in the season. "So it is not like all of a sudden we don't have options in that position anymore."
Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on January 27, 2026
Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo could be needed to fill at center-back(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Endo’s ability to slot in at center-back is already well known, and he’s done just that on a few occasions during his three years at Liverpool. Having only recently returned to training himself after an injury, it might be a big ask for him to do the job again at Newcastle if needed.
Gravenberch would perhaps have to step in then if either of Van Dijk or Araujo were to pick up a knock. It wouldn’t be a new experience for him, although his time at center-back is very much limited, and you can hardly judge his ability in the role on his appearance there in the 6-0 win over Qarabag back in January.
It’s not like Iraola would have many other options though. It will not be a good look for Liverpool if either Gravenberch or Endo are forced to start at center-back against Newcastle - no pressure Ronald, but you need to stay fit.