Liverpool faces off with AS Monaco in the penultimate friendly of preseason, with Curtis Jones among those to miss out on the final roster at Anfield.
What does the future hold for Curtis Jones?
What does the future hold for Curtis Jones?(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
Curtis Jones was a surprise omission from the Liverpool roster when Andoni Iraola released his full lineup to take on AS Monaco in a friendly on Sunday.
The midfielder had featured for the manager throughout the preseason tour of the US, picking up valuable minutes for his fitness and tactical instruction from the new coach.
However, eyebrows were raised over the star not being included in the Liverpool team taking on Monaco, as he missed out on even making the substitutes' bench.
That's because, according to reporter Ian Doyle, Jones was left out as a precaution, following a minor concern that the Reds would rather avoid becoming a larger issue.
It comes as doubts continue to surround the future of the Liverpool academy graduate, who is facing an important few weeks ahead with regards to his future.
Jones is currently into the final year of his contract at Anfield, and without a guaranteed place in the midfield, there is a suggestion that the 25-year-old would be open to a new challenge.
Liverpool appears open to an exit at the right price, rather than losing the midfielder on a free transfer next summer, as interest continues to surround a potential deal.
Inter Milan has been heavily linked with Jones, with reports claiming that two offers have been submitted by the Italian club but turned down by the Merseyside outfit for not meeting his valuation.
Curtis Jones
Curtis Jones (Image: (Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images))
Naturally, the ace's absence from the matchday group against Monaco raised questions about whether it was due to an impending move, but it has instead reaffirmed the frustrations that Liverpool has faced with injuries in recent seasons.
The Reds were heavily impacted in the last campaign by key injuries, some of which have filtered into this season, with Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley among those who won't be back for a little while yet.
The issues in preseason have seen Jeremy Jacquet impacted, as the star is still yet to feature during the warm-up to the Premier League, in what has become a worrying development for Iraola.
Add that to the injury for Joe Gomez and the longer wait time for Giovanni Leoni to get back to full fitness, and there are clear concerns. Many of those may be patched up by the arrival of Ronald Araujo, but the issues are still there.
There will be some hope that the precaution taken around Jones will see him available again soon, even if the midfield is one of the areas with better cover within the squad.