Liverpool's Defensive Concerns as Iraola Prepares for Como Friendlies
Liverpool head into their final summer friendlies with more questions than answers at centre-back, as Andoni Iraola waits anxiously on the fitness of Jeremy Jacquet before Sunday’s back-to-back meetings with Como at Anfield.
The new head coach, preparing for his first Premier League campaign in charge, is already feeling the thinness of his squad in key areas. Nowhere is that more stark than in the heart of defence, where injuries and departures have stripped the group down to the bare bones and left Virgil van Dijk as the only fully fit senior centre-half.
Jacquet race against time
Jacquet, the £60million signing from Rennes, has yet to kick a ball in pre-season. An unspecified issue ruled him out of the recent 3-2 defeat to Monaco, prolonging a frustrating spell after a shoulder problem curtailed his previous campaign.
There is at least a glimmer of encouragement. The Frenchman is back in full team training ahead of Como’s visit and is edging closer to a first appearance in red. Iraola, though, is refusing to rush a player Liverpool have invested heavily in, wary of compounding the defender’s recent injury history.
The caution has already forced Liverpool’s hand in the market. Ronald Araujo has arrived on loan from Barcelona, a move that underlines just how stretched Iraola’s options have become before a competitive ball has even been kicked.
Injuries pile up at the back
Jacquet is not the only concern. Giovanni Leoni remains in rehabilitation from the ACL injury he suffered on his debut in the Carabao Cup a year ago, a setback that has effectively wiped out his first 12 months at the club.
Joe Gomez, a mainstay of recent seasons, is now also on the sidelines after limping off with a muscle problem in the 4-2 win over Sunderland. He was replaced that day by youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe, and the early indications are that Gomez’s issue will almost certainly cost him a place at the start of the league campaign.
The result is a depth chart held together by academy promise. Ndukwe, fellow new recruit Talla Ndiaye and Luke Chambers have all seen minutes in pre-season and could be asked to step up again on Sunday, especially with the first game behind closed doors at 11.30am BST followed by a ticketed friendly at 6pm.
All of this comes after the loss of Ibrahima Konate, who departed on a free transfer when his contract expired and has since joined Real Madrid. One of last season’s defensive pillars is gone, and the reshaping of the back line is happening under pressure.
Midfield fitness watch
The problems are not limited to defence. Curtis Jones has been nursing a hip injury, even as speculation swirls over a possible move to Inter Milan. He missed the Monaco defeat but has now returned to training, offering Iraola at least a partial boost in midfield.
Attention also falls on Liverpool’s World Cup finalists, Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz. Both are back at the club after deep runs with their national teams, but their minutes and intensity will be managed carefully as the staff monitor their fitness and sharpness.
Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike are longer-term absentees, sidelined by knee and Achilles injuries respectively, and will play no part against Como.
Iraola’s selection dilemma
For all the setbacks, there are some reassuring sights. Van Dijk returned to action in the Monaco match, as did first-choice goalkeeper Alisson, restoring at least some of the spine Iraola will lean on when the season starts.
The question now is how close he dares to go to his strongest possible XI in these final tune-ups. Two games in one day offer scope for rotation, but the lack of senior cover at centre-back makes every selection a risk.
A likely shape remains a 4-2-3-1, with a predicted line-up of:
Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Ngumouha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak.
Jacquet, Jones, Mac Allister and Munoz are all carrying varying degrees of doubt. Bradley, Leoni, Ekitike, Gomez and Danns are ruled out.
Anfield will stage both fixtures, one behind closed doors, one in front of supporters. By the end of Sunday evening, Iraola should have a clearer picture of what he truly has at his disposal — and whether this patched-up defence can survive the opening storm of a Premier League season that will not wait for anyone to get fully fit.
