Jeremy Jacquet will make his Liverpool debut in the final match of the club's United States tour, manager Andoni Iraola has confirmed. The £60 million centre-back has been carefully managed during the pre-season trip after recovering from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for several months at his previous club.
Speaking after Liverpool's 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville, Iraola outlined his approach to integrating the French defender. "With Jeremy, we decided to take it easy with him," Iraola explained. "He has been a lot of months without playing with a shoulder injury. He will probably play the last game of this US tour and he will have time to have minutes." The cautious strategy reflects the club's determination to avoid rushing Jacquet's return to competitive action during the demanding American schedule.
Gomez Injury Concerns Liverpool
The afternoon in Nashville was overshadowed by injury concerns when Joe Gomez was forced off the pitch during the match against the Black Cats. The versatile defender, a long-serving Anfield presence, suffered what Iraola described as the day's most significant setback. "Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe," the manager said. "We were happy because we were kind of going through all the training without losing any player. Unluckily for us, straight away we've lost one now." The timing proves particularly frustrating as Iraola's squad builds cohesion under the new regime, with Liverpool having maintained a clean injury record throughout their training sessions before the Sunderland fixture.
Despite the defensive blow, Liverpool's attacking arsenal shone brightly. Goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas secured a winning start to the tour. However, Iraola acknowledged lapses in intensity during humid conditions. "We lacked some freshness," he noted, pointing to the heavy legs and reduced sharpness typical of early pre-season football.
Jacquet, meanwhile, has impressed off the pitch, quickly settling into Anfield life. The Frenchman expressed his pride at joining the Premier League giants. "It's a real honour to wear this red shirt," he said. Already bonding with teammates including Trey Nyoni, Giovanni Leoni, and Hugo Ekitike, the defender is building relationships that will prove crucial as he transitions into competitive action. Liverpool supporters will finally see their summer signing on the pitch in the tour's closing fixture.
