Gomez Out of Liverpool Opener; No Defender Signing Planned
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Joe Gomez suffered a muscle injury in Liverpool's pre-season friendly against Sunderland in Nashville, forcing him off early in the first half
- Andoni Iraola ruled Gomez out of Liverpool's August 23 Premier League opener against Newcastle, estimating roughly one month for a standard muscle injury
- Liverpool's transfer plans remain unchanged — a formal approach to PSG for winger Bradley Barcola is the priority, not a centre-back, despite the defensive shortage
- Liverpool could realistically begin the season with only Virgil van Dijk and Jeremey Jacquet as senior centre-back options, with Giovanni Leoni still rehabbing an ACL injury
- Iraola praised 18-year-olds Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye for stepping into the back line during pre-season, saying the team showed "composure and solidity"
- PSG are advancing negotiations with Monaco for Maghnes Akliouche; Liverpool made initial contact but a move for Barcola is now anticipated instead
Why it matters: Liverpool could open the Premier League campaign with just two senior centre-backs — Jacquet returning from a long shoulder lay-off and van Dijk fresh from post-World Cup rest — forcing Iraola to lean on teenagers rather than spend on defense, while the club redirects its budget toward PSG's Barcola.
