Joe Gomez to miss the start of Liverpool's Premier League season due to a muscle injury
Liverpool will begin the new Premier League season without Joe Gomez, one of the most experienced and versatile defenders in the squad. The English footballer sustained a muscle injury in the 4-2 pre-season victory over Sunderland, played on 25 July in Nashville, and had to leave the pitch after only eight minutes. Head coach Andoni Iraola confirmed at a press conference in Chicago on 30 July that Gomez would be sidelined for several weeks and that his appearance in the opening league match was effectively ruled out. Liverpool begin the 2026/27 season on 23 August with a demanding away match against Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
According to Liverpool's official announcement, it is a common muscle injury that has not been assessed as particularly serious, but the recovery timeframe is inconvenient because less than a month remains until the start of the league season. Iraola explained that with such problems it is not possible to determine an exact return date immediately and that he usually bases his estimates on approximately four weeks. If rehabilitation proceeds without complications, Gomez could return slightly earlier, while a slower recovery could extend his absence beyond the first round. The club has not yet released a more detailed medical diagnosis or confirmed which specific muscle was injured.
Iraola does not expect Gomez to feature away at Newcastle
Iraola said the seriousness of the problem became apparent as soon as Gomez complained of pain and asked to stop playing. The coach did not want to set a firm deadline, but clearly stated that he did not expect the 29-year-old defender to be in contention for the first league match. Such an assessment means Liverpool must plan the final stage of their preparations without a player who can cover both centre-back positions, both full-back roles and, in certain systems, the defensive midfield position. It is precisely that adaptability that has made Gomez an important part of the squad for years, even when he was not a regular member of the starting line-up.
The away match against Newcastle United will also be Andoni Iraola's first official game in charge of Liverpool. The club appointed the Spanish specialist on 4 June 2026, following Arne Slot's departure, and Iraola arrived at Anfield after three seasons at Bournemouth. According to the official Premier League schedule, the match between Newcastle and Liverpool will be played on Sunday, 23 August. Liverpool then host Nottingham Forest on 29 August, meaning that, depending on the speed of his recovery, the first home league appearance could also come too early for Gomez. His involvement in that match has not officially been ruled out, but the estimate of approximately a month on the sidelines leaves open the possibility that his return may not come until late August or early September.
The injury has deepened the problem in central defence
Gomez's absence comes at a time when Liverpool have very few fully fit centre-backs. Ibrahima Konaté left the club after the expiry of his contract and joined Real Madrid, leaving the team without a player who had frequently formed a centre-back partnership with Virgil van Dijk in recent seasons. The Dutch captain joined pre-season preparations later because of international commitments at the World Cup, so he was unavailable for the first matches of the American tour. New defender Jérémy Jacquet joined the squad after arriving from Rennes, but his playing time is being carefully managed because he is returning from a shoulder injury sustained in February.
Giovanni Leoni's lengthy rehabilitation represents an additional problem. The young Italian centre-back suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in September 2025 during a Carabao Cup match against Southampton. Liverpool announced at the beginning of 2026 that Leoni was continuing his recovery programme at the club's training centre, but no publicly confirmed date has been set for his return. As a result, Iraola must simultaneously build a new defensive structure during the final part of the summer, integrate a new player and manage the workload of footballers returning from injuries or joining pre-season preparations later.
After the match against Wrexham, the coach openly admitted that the squad was currently very thin in the centre-back positions. He identified 18-year-olds Mora Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe as the only natural central defenders who were fully available to him at that moment. Against Wrexham, Luke Chambers, a footballer who is not primarily a centre-back, started alongside Ndukwe, while Ndiaye came on in the second half. Iraola praised the young players for their composure and solidity, but their good performances do not change the fact that they are footballers with very little experience at the highest senior level.
Young defenders have been handed an unexpectedly important role
Liverpool opened their American tour with a victory over Sunderland in Nashville, but the 4-2 result was overshadowed by Gomez's early departure. Iraola said after the match that the injury was the worst news of the evening because the team had previously gone through the preparation process without any major health problems. Numerous young players impressed in the match, while Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas scored the goals. The match gave the coach his first competitive indicators about the new team, but also immediately raised the question of the depth of the defensive line.
Four days later, Liverpool defeated Wrexham 1-0 at Yankee Stadium in New York through a goal from Rio Ngumoha. In that match, the defence, composed partly of players operating outside their usual positions, kept a clean sheet. Iraola assessed that the team appeared more cohesive and stable than against Sunderland, particularly highlighting Chambers' adaptation to the centre-back role. Such tests have additional value because the coaching staff can assess which young players may be able to help the first team in the short term if fitness problems continue.
However, pre-season matches cannot fully simulate the intensity of the Premier League, while an away match at Newcastle traditionally brings strong physical pressure, a high tempo and demanding duels. Liverpool will therefore aim to return their established first-team players to full training in the coming weeks and gradually increase Jacquet's playing time. Iraola announced that the French defender could receive his first minutes of the American tour against Leeds United on 2 August in Chicago. After returning to England, Liverpool are expected to play Monaco on 9 August and Como on 16 August at Anfield, leaving the coaching staff with three more matches to prepare the defence before the start of the league season.
Jacquet's return reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk
The arrival of Jérémy Jacquet was one of the moves through which Liverpool attempted to rebuild their defensive line. The 20-year-old Frenchman arrived from Stade Rennais, for whom he made 33 senior appearances, while gaining additional experience during a loan spell at Clermont Foot. His previous season ended early because of a shoulder injury, so the club did not want to rush his return simply to compensate for the shortage of other centre-backs. Iraola said on 30 July that Jacquet was close to playing, but his minutes would probably be limited initially.
Van Dijk's return to training provides much-needed experience and leadership, but the coaching staff must assess how heavily he can be used after a shorter pre-season. In such a situation, Gomez would be particularly valuable because he can play alongside the captain, replace him or fill a full-back position without requiring a major change of system. His absence is therefore not merely the loss of one centre-back, but also a reduction in the tactical flexibility of the entire defence. Liverpool must find a solution during pre-season that will not depend on the premature return of injured players.
The transfer market remains another possible source of solutions, but as of 31 July the club had not officially announced another centre-back signing after Jacquet. Any decision on a potential reinforcement will depend on the assessment of Leoni's recovery, Jacquet's fitness, the development of the young players and the expected duration of Gomez's absence. Since Iraola has only recently taken over the team, any new arrival would also need time to adapt to his demands regarding pressing, build-up play and the positioning of the defensive line. In the short term, it therefore appears most likely that Liverpool will combine Van Dijk's experience with Jacquet, Chambers and younger defenders until Gomez returns.
Gomez's importance extends beyond the number of starts he makes
Joe Gomez has been a Liverpool player since the summer of 2015, when he arrived from Charlton Athletic as an 18-year-old. According to club data published in June 2026, he had made 274 appearances for Liverpool by that point and had become the longest-serving member of the current dressing room. During 11 years, he won the Champions League, two English league titles, the UEFA Super Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup and two League Cups. His career at Anfield has also been marked by a series of serious injuries, including a severe knee injury in his first season, a lower-leg fracture in 2018 and another knee injury in 2020 that required surgery.
Despite those interruptions, Gomez repeatedly returned and took on different defensive duties. In the 2019/20 season, he was an important partner for Van Dijk in the team that won the league with a club-record 99 points, while in the 2023/24 season he made 51 appearances in all competitions. His ability to switch from centre-back to left-back or right-back without a lengthy period of adjustment is particularly important during periods of a congested schedule. For that reason, the value of his return is measured not only by the competition he provides in the heart of defence, but also by the depth he brings to the entire squad.
The new injury is not comparable to the most serious problems Gomez has experienced earlier in his career, at least according to the club's initial assessment. Iraola described it as a normal muscle injury and emphasised that he did not expect a significantly longer absence than approximately one month. Nevertheless, because of his history of health problems, Liverpool will probably avoid unnecessary risks and base his return on the results of rehabilitation rather than solely on the date of the first league match. For the player and the coaching staff, ensuring a full recovery is more important than accelerating his return by a few days.
The opening matches will show how prepared the defence is
Liverpool have slightly more than three weeks before the away match at Newcastle to stabilise their defensive line. During that period, Van Dijk should make up for some of the missed training sessions, Jacquet should begin to find his competitive rhythm, and the young centre-backs should continue receiving minutes. The matches against Leeds, Monaco and Como will serve as tests not only of individual fitness, but also of the mechanisms Iraola wants to introduce: the height of the defensive line, reactions after losing possession, the coordination of the press and security when playing the ball out from the defensive third.
Gomez's return is currently not expected until after the beginning of the league season, but the precise timing will depend on how the injured muscle responds to treatment and the gradual increase in workload. Liverpool have not announced that the defender will miss more than the first round, so his availability will be assessed throughout August. Iraola's immediate priority is to find a sufficiently stable combination for Newcastle without forcing players who are not yet fully fit. The good performances of the young footballers in the United States have provided encouragement, but the start of the Premier League will bring a considerably tougher test.
Sources:
- Liverpool FC – official statement by Andoni Iraola on the nature of Joe Gomez's injury and the expected recovery period (link)
- Liverpool FC – report and reactions following the pre-season match against Sunderland in Nashville (link)
- Liverpool FC – report from the victory over Wrexham and the defensive line-up used in New York (link)
- Liverpool FC – Andoni Iraola's reaction after the match against Wrexham and the announcement of Jérémy Jacquet's return (link)
- Liverpool FC – Liverpool's official Premier League fixture schedule for the 2026/27 season (link)
- Liverpool FC – schedule of pre-season matches against Leeds, Monaco and Como (link)
- Premier League – official page for the Newcastle United – Liverpool match on 23 August 2026 (link)
- Liverpool FC – confirmation of Andoni Iraola's appointment as Liverpool head coach (link)
- Liverpool FC – confirmation of Ibrahima Konaté's transfer to Real Madrid after the expiry of his contract (link)
- Liverpool FC – official announcement of Jérémy Jacquet's arrival and information about his shoulder injury (link)
- Liverpool FC – information about Giovanni Leoni's rehabilitation following an anterior cruciate ligament rupture (link)
- Liverpool FC – club overview of Joe Gomez's career, appearances and trophies (link)