Arne Slot says Liverpool felt it was “better to assess it back in England”
Joe Gomez has returned to England from Liverpool’s pre-season tour in Asia after picking up a minor Achilles problem during training on Thursday in Hong Kong.
The defender felt some discomfort after the training session and was later ruled out of the friendlies against AC Milan and Yokohama F. Marinos.
Liverpool confirmed that Gomez will undergo further assessment at the AXA Training Centre, though the injury is not believed to be serious.
Head coach Arne Slot said the decision was made after consulting the medical team, with the player’s recovery the priority.
“He had some Achilles issues after training, and we thought it was better to assess it back in England and for him to work on coming back to the team, probably in more ideal circumstances for him than be part of the group that every time goes out,” the Liverpool boss explained.
The timing is unfortunate for Gomez, who only returned to full fitness this summer after missing the final stretch of last season with a hamstring injury.
His absence leaves Liverpool increasingly short at centre-back, with just three senior options currently available following Jarell Quansah’s sale to Bayer Leverkusen.
The club continue to weigh up reinforcements at the back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi still under consideration as a potential target.
