Liverpool head into their friendly against Leeds with a clear split in the news: Joe Gomez is out for some weeks with a muscle injury, while Jérémy Jacquet is expected to be fit to make his Liverpool debut. Andoni Iraola said Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak could also get their first minutes against Leeds. Liverpool have won their first two pre-season matches, beating Sunderland and Wrexham.

Gomez setback and Jacquet's chance

The clearest update is on Joe Gomez. Iraola said: "Joe has a muscle injury. I think it was quite clear since he complained straight away, so he will be some weeks off." That keeps Gomez out for a spell, but it also opens the door for Jérémy Jacquet, who is expected to be fit for the Leeds game.

There is a small wrinkle around Jacquet's arrival. One source says he completed a move after joining from Rennes earlier this summer, while another frames the transfer timing differently. Either way, the practical point for Liverpool is the same, he is in line for first minutes against Leeds.

Liverpool's early pre-season rhythm

The rest of the update is about giving new and returning faces a proper runout. Iraola said: "My idea is for Ryan [Gravenberch], for Florian [Wirtz], for Alex [Isak], for even Jeremy Jacquet to have their first minutes against Leeds." That puts Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak alongside Jacquet in the frame.

Liverpool's start to pre-season has been tidy enough, with two wins from two. Leeds are not arriving empty-handed either, having split their latest two games. On paper that makes this a more useful test than a routine warm-up, especially for a Liverpool side trying to build rhythm quickly.

Leeds have also had a live friendly schedule of their own, so Daniel Farke's side should give Liverpool a proper check rather than a passive training session. The bigger Liverpool picture is still the same: keep the early momentum, get the new names minutes, and avoid making Gomez's absence look worse than it is.

Iraola's update suggests the Leeds game will be less about a result and more about who takes the field. With Gomez sidelined and Jacquet expected to debut, Liverpool should come out of it with a clearer read on their early squad options.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →