Joe Gomez has not played for Liverpool since a hamstring injury at Plymouth in February, and Arne Slot has now revealed if he is expected back this season.
Gomez suffered a recurrence of a hamstring issue after starting his first game after a month-and-a-half out during the 1-0 loss to Plymouth in the FA Cup.
The defender opted for surgery to correct the injury and has been working on his recovery ever since, which has seen him return to outdoor work at the AXA Training Centre in recent weeks.
• READ: Why Darwin Nunez is not starting as Arne Slot reacts to transfer rumour
While he is yet to join his teammates for contact sessions the expectation is that, all being well, Gomez will be fit before the campaign ends.
Speaking in his pre-Tottenham press conference, Slot provided an update on his No. 2 and confirmed he should be available next month.
“If his recovery goes well he would be able to [play], maybe in the last one or two games of the season, but he’s still not training with us yet,” Slot said.
“He’s coming closer and closer to training with the team, but then he’s been out for a long time.
“Conor Bradley, it took him a while before he could even come in, let alone start.
“So I think he will be available in the last one, two or three games – if his recovery goes as planned.”
Liverpool’s remaining fixtures
- Tottenham (H) – Sunday, April 27
- Chelsea (A) – Sunday, May 4
- Arsenal (H) – Sunday, May 11
- Brighton (A) – Monday, May 19
- Crystal Palace (H) – Sunday, May 25
It is evident that bringing Gomez back into the fold is not a priority for Slot, who has Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate as his preferred pairing at centre-back and both Conor Bradley and Trent Alexander-Arnold fit at right-back.
• READ: Arne Slot explains “next step” for Conor Bradley in Trent Alexander-Arnold hint
But with Liverpool a point away from clinching the Premier League title it would recognise the role Gomez has played in the club’s success if he is reintegrated before the season’s end.
After that, it remains unclear, with the 27-year-old having come close to leaving Liverpool last summer only to decide to stay for his 10th season at Anfield.
“My focus was always on the club,” he told the Guardian in December, having admitting the chances of him moving had been “definitely for real.”
“I know how blessed I am to be here and it will be 10 years in the summer. I don’t take that for granted.
“It is the best club in the world in my eyes and it was quickly a case of adapting and getting into the swing of things.
“It was good to put it to bed. It’s football. To be somewhere 10 years and not have any blips would not be natural.”
If Newcastle, or another club for that matter, make an approach for Gomez in the upcoming transfer window it is clearly feasible that he will depart this time around.
Fan Comments