Joe Gomez is slated to miss Liverpool's opening Premier League match after sustaining a muscle injury, but the setback is unlikely to derail the club's transfer agenda. The 26‑year‑old defender was forced to leave the field early in the first half of Liverpool's pre‑season friendly against Sunderland in Nashville, as he complained of a muscle problem almost immediately after the game began. New manager Andoni Iraola declined to give a precise timetable for Gomez's return, confirming only that the player will not be fit for the upcoming clash with Newcastle United on August 23, which will be televised live on Sky Sports. "Joe has a muscle injury.
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," Iraola explained in the post‑match press conference. When pressed for a more specific estimate, the Liverpool head coach added, "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." The manager's remarks suggest a recovery period of roughly four weeks, give or take, meaning Gomez will likely miss the first league fixture but could be back in training before the end of September. While his absence reduces depth in the back line, Liverpool's transfer priorities appear to lie elsewhere.
According to Sky Sports News analyst Vinny O'Connor, the Reds are concentrating on adding a wide‑forward rather than a centre‑back, with a formal approach to Paris Saint‑Germain's promising youngster Bradley Barcola reportedly imminent. Gomez's injury is therefore viewed as a short‑term inconvenience rather than a catalyst for a defensive signing spree. Iraola also highlighted the return of veteran Virgil van Dijk, who is coming back from his post‑World Cup break and will report directly to Liverpool's training base instead of traveling to the United States for pre‑season matches. Van Dijk's presence should alleviate some of the pressure on the defensive unit while Gomez works on his rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, other members of the back‑line are still on the road to full fitness. Giovanni Leoni continues his recovery from an ACL rupture suffered early last season, and new signing Jeremy Jacquet is set to make his first pre‑season appearance against Leeds United after a lengthy lay‑off due to a shoulder issue.
In practical terms, Liverpool could begin the campaign with van Dijk and Jacquet as the only senior centre‑backs available, relying heavily on the progress of younger prospects. Iraola acknowledged the thinness of options at centre‑back during Thursday's press conference, but he praised the performances of academy graduates Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye, who have been thrust into defensive roles throughout the pre‑season. "You have seen these games, we are pretty thin in the centre‑back position. We still don't have Virgil.
The only real centre‑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 centre‑back but he played really well.
We have to wait until we recover some bodies. I think Jeremy 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 centre‑backs, the team has showed composure and solidity at the back and that speaks very well about them." The manager's optimism about the youngsters suggests that Liverpool may be able to maintain defensive stability even without Gomez for the first few weeks. In addition to the internal solutions, the club's external plans are shaping up. Sky Sports News' Lyall Thomas reported that PSG is nearing a deal with Monaco for Maghnes Akliouche, while the winger market is heating up with Yan Diomande edging closer to a move to Real Madrid.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have made initial contact with Monaco regarding Akliouche but appear more focused on securing Barcola, a move that was first leaked by Sky Sports News earlier in the week. In summary, while Joe Gomez's muscle injury will keep him out of Liverpool's season opener and likely the first few league games, the club's broader transfer strategy remains largely unchanged.
The priority is still to add pace and creativity on the flanks, with Barcola being the headline target. Defensively, the Reds will lean on the rapid recovery of van Dijk, the readiness of Jeremy Jacquet, and the surprising maturity of their teenage centre‑backs to bridge the gap until Gomez returns to full fitness.
The situation underscores Liverpool's depth of youth talent and the flexibility of their recruitment approach, ensuring that a short‑term setback does not translate into a major disruption of their plans for the upcoming campaign.