‘Impossible’—Andoni Iraola Rules Liverpool Star Out of Premier League Opener

The Reds’ academy has been relied on in the early stages of preseason.

Andoni Iraola has been forced to get creative. | Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has confirmed center back Joe Gomez will miss the team’s Premier League opener on Aug. 23 through injury.

Gomez limped off early in Liverpool’s first preseason friendly against Sunderland, immediately plunging new boss Iraola into an injury crisis at center back, where Gomez was the only available senior option at the time.

While Gomez’s latest issue is not believed to be particularly serious, Iraola admitted there is no chance of seeing him back in time for Liverpool’s trip to St James’ Park next month.

“Joe has a muscle injury,” he confirmed. “I think it was quite clear since he complained straight away, so it will depend how he evolves, but he will be some weeks off.

“It’s a muscle injury and [with] muscle injuries it is difficult to say one day, but normally I always put myself as one month.

“If it goes very good the injury is a little bit less, if [not] it goes a little more. It’s not massive, it’s a normal muscle injury, [but] I think it’s going to be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far [away]. It shouldn’t be a lot more.”

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Liverpool’s Nervous Wait Ahead of Season Opener

Joe Gomez was the only fit senior center back to start the summer. | Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC/Getty Images

Fitness has been a real problem for Liverpool in defense this summer. Gomez began preseason as the only senior center back available, with Jérémy Jacquet still nearing a return from a shoulder injury and Giovanni Leoni working his way back from a serious knee issue.

Jacquet is expected to be available against Newcastle for what would be his first competitive appearance both for Liverpool and in the Premier League. He should partner Van Dijk—assuming the 35-year-old returns from vacation in good shape.

Any unexpected issues would put the pressure back on Iraola, who has had to rely on academy signings Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye during preseason.

“You have seen these games, we are pretty thin in the center back position,” Iraola conceded. “We still don’t have Virgil. The only real center backs we have right now are Mor and Ify, who are 18 years old, just arrived to the club and they are doing incredibly well.

“On Wednesday, Luke Chambers played there. He is not a center back but he played really well. We have to until we recover some bodies.

“I think Jérémy is ready to go and we will recover Virgil, but I’m happy that playing against Sunderland, against Wrexham, good teams with 18-year-old center backs, the team has showed composure and solidity at the back and [that] speaks very well about them.”

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