Joe Gomez is expected to miss the start of Liverpool's Premier League campaign through injury – but it is not likely to impact the Reds' transfer plans. <p>The defender was forced off early in the first half of <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/liverpool-vs-sunderland/report/554985">Liverpool's friendly with Sunderland</a> in Nashville last weekend due to a muscle problem.</p><p>New Reds boss <strong>Andoni Iraola</strong> refused to put an exact timescale on Gomez's return but ruled him out of being back in time to face Newcastle on August 23, live on <em>Sky Sports.</em></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/13567211/andoni-iraola-five-things-we-learned-from-liverpool-head-coachs-first-game-in-charge-against-sunderland"><strong>What we learned from Andoni Iraola's Liverpool debut</strong></a></li><li><a href="https://qrcode.skysports.com/TransfersSkySportsApp" target="_blank"><strong>Transfer Centre LIVE!</strong></a><strong> | <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/live-blog/11669/13025501/liverpool-transfer-news-rumours-and-gossip-live-updates-and-latest-on-deals-signings-loans-and-contracts">Liverpool latest</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13546612/premier-league-pre-season-friendlies-2026-27-fixtures-results-uk-kick-off-times-summer-tour-schedule-and-training-camps">Premier League pre-season: Fixtures and results</a></strong></li><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12040/13561249/premier-league-2026-27-fixtures-live-on-sky-sports-arsenal-vs-chelsea-and-man-utd-vs-man-city-live-on-sky-in-september" target="_blank"><strong>Sky to show at least 215 live 2026/27 Premier League games</strong></a></li></ul><p>"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 said.</p><p>Asked for further detail on how long he expects to be without Gomez, 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.</p><p>"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."</p><widget id="2"></widget><h3>Gomez injury will not affect Liverpool transfer plans</h3><p><em>Analysis from Sky Sports News' <strong>Vinny O'Connor:</strong></em></p><p>Liverpool's transfer plans remain unaffected by Gomez's injury despite the lack of options currently available to Iraola.</p><p>Their current priority is bringing in a wide forward – not a central defender – with <a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13567997/bradley-barcola-transfer-news-liverpool-set-to-open-talks-with-paris-saint-germain-over-winger-with-an-opening-offer-prepared">Liverpool set to make a formal approach to PSG for <strong>Bradley Barcola. </strong></a></p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11669/13568493/bradley-barcola-transfer-news-jamie-carragher-says-liverpool-do-not-need-psg-winger-as-much-as-they-need-a-mohamed-salah-replacement">Jamie Carragher: Liverpool don't need Bradly Barcola – they need to replace Mo Salah!</a></strong></li><li><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13565590/bradley-barcola-to-liverpool-or-arsenal-psg-and-france-forward-is-quick-strong-versatile-intelligent-and-in-demand"><strong>Bradley Barcola's rise explained, but is he actually right for Liverpool?</strong></a></li></ul><p>Gomez's injury is viewed as short-term, with Iraola anticipating he will not miss much more than their opening game against Newcastle.</p><p><strong>Virgil van Dijk</strong> returns from his post-World Cup break this week and will report to Liverpool's training base rather than travelling to the United States.</p> <widget id="3"></widget><p><strong>Giovanni Leoni </strong>is still rehabbing from an ACL injury he suffered early last season, while new signing <strong>Jeremey Jacquet</strong> is preparing to play his first game of pre-season against Leeds on Sunday after a long lay-off with a shoulder problem.</p><p>Liverpool could realistically go into the start of the new season with only Van Dijk and Jacquet as their available senior options at centre-back.</p><p>Iraola admitted in Thursday's press conference that Liverpool are currently thin on options at the back, but was positive about the performances of youngsters <strong>Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe</strong> and <strong>Mor Talla Ndiaye</strong>, who have stepped in during pre-season.</p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>"You have seen these games, we are pretty thin in the centre-back position," he said. "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.</p><p>"On Wednesday, Luke Chambers played there. He is not a centre-back but he played really well. We have to until we recover some bodies.</p><p>"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."</p><h3>PSG closer to agreeing deal former Liverpool target Akliouche</h3><p><em>Latest from Sky Sports News' <strong>Lyall Thomas:</strong></em></p><p><strong>PSG </strong>are getting closer to agreeing a deal with<strong> Monaco</strong> for<strong> Maghnes Akliouche. </strong>Negotiations are in the advanced stages.</p><p>The winger market is starting to move, with <strong>Yan Diomande</strong> moving closer to <strong>Real Madrid</strong> and Liverpool preparing to bid for Barcola.</p><p>Liverpool also made initial contact with Monaco about Akliouche – but a move for Barcola is anticipated since <em>Sky Sports News</em> broke that news on Wednesday.</p> <widget id="1"></widget>
Source: Sky Sports — This article was automatically imported from the source. Read full article at original source →
