Liverpool were handed another injury scare ahead of their return to action against Manchester City after Jeremy Jacquet was forced to sit out France's 4-1 home win over Belgium on Monday.
The Reds were already sweating over the fitness of both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo after the pair withdrew from international duty because of injury, leaving Andoni Iraola with a potential shortage in attack. Now the Basque has been handed a potential headache at the heart of defence too after Jacquet was left out of Zinedine Zidane's matchday squad for France's final outing of the expanded September/October international break.
The French Football Federation released a statement declaring the centre-back had suffered a "strain to his left hamstring", though Zidane later played down the severity of the issue as he claimed that Jacquet was only 'slightly injured'. It still leaves the 21-year-old's involvement against Man City at risk, especially given how much he has played this season after a disjointed pre-season.
Jacquet's season so far
Liverpool announced they were set to sign Jacquet at the end of the season in an initial £55m deal from Stade Rennes back in February, with the defender finishing the season at the Ligue 1 club. However, he dislocated his shoulder in his first outing following confirmation of the switch and was ruled out for the rest of the campaign.
The Reds managed him carefully throughout pre-season, with the defender only declared fit to play for the first time in Liverpool's final pre-season friendly against Como - a game in which he scored before being replaced at half-time. Since then, Jacquet has been a virtual ever-present under Iraola, starting all six of the Reds' Premier League and Champions League matches, while also coming on as a half-time substitute in their League Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The Frenchman has shone for Liverpool this season, establishing himself as Virgil van Dijk's new centre-back partner following the departure of Ibrahima Konate to Real Madrid. He has taken that form onto the international stage, impressing under Zidane when completing the full 90 minutes on his first two appearances for France as they won 1-0 away at Belgium before drawing 1-1 with Italy.
Defensive options for Iraola
Having also completed the full 90 minutes in the Reds' last three Premier League games - helping them keep clean sheets in all three - as well as their Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid, his total of 732 minutes from nine games for club and country is a lot of action for a young player adapting to a new league after six months on the sidelines. If Jacquet's injury proves minor, Liverpool would perhaps be wise to manage him carefully in the weeks ahead, especially with a run of nine games in 28 days prior to the November international break.
Fortunately, Iraola does have options to replace Jacquet. The obvious choice would be to move Ronald Araujo to centre-back alongside Van Dijk. Like Jacquet, the Uruguayan has enjoyed a fine start to his Anfield career, with Liverpool yet to concede a goal from the three Premier League games he has started. All three of those starts have come at right-back, meaning Iraola would also need to make a defensive change at full-back if he moved Araujo infield.
With Conor Bradley still sidelined, Jeremie Frimpong is Liverpool's only available senior natural right-back. However, the Dutchman has enjoyed a shaky start to the season, coinciding with him losing his place to Araujo. He was also snubbed entirely by Xavi during the international break, left unused on the bench for three of the Netherlands' first four Nations League matches and left out of the matchday squad entirely. Frimpong, who has since been linked with a January exit to Barcelona, would have extra reason to impress against former club Man City if Jacquet is ruled out.
Gomez and other alternatives
Should Iraola wish to persevere with Araujo at right-back off the back of three successive Premier League clean sheets, Joe Gomez would be an alternative at centre-back. The England international made his return from injury in the League Cup win over Spurs last month and has rested up during the international break after not being called up by the Three Lions. Gomez would also be an option at right-back if Araujo moved infield, with Dominik Szoboszlai also a last-resort at full-back if required.
Gomez is out of contract at Anfield at the end of the season and, despite recently being appointed as one of Liverpool's three vice-captains alongside Szoboszlai and Alisson Becker, it would be little surprise if he departed on a free transfer. His injury problems throughout his 11-year Anfield career are well-documented, with his latest lay-off coming only minutes into Liverpool's opening pre-season friendly against Sunderland. He only returned to an English top-flight matchday squad against AFC Bournemouth prior to the break, with it perhaps a big ask to throw him in from the cold against Man City.
Yet it would not be the first time. Having initially fallen out of favour under former head coach Arne Slot, Gomez made his first Premier League start for the Dutchman against Man City in December 2024 - having only featured for 55 minutes to date up to that point - as he played a starring role to help silence Erling Haaland in a 2-0 Reds win.
He has more game-time in his legs than Iraola's other alternatives. Wataru Endo is yet to feature this season after returning from an ankle injury in the summer, while Giovanni Leoni is only just closing in on a return to team training after over a year on the sidelines with an ACL injury. While the Italian could come in for Jacquet in the mid to long-term, it is inconceivable that he would be thrown in at the deep end anytime soon after such a lengthy lay-off. Endo remains just a fringe player at Anfield as he navigates the final year of his Liverpool contract.
Beyond them, the likes of Luke Chambers or Mor Talla Ndiaye could step up from the under-21s, while Ifeanyi Ndukwe could become an option from January onwards. The Austrian is currently on loan at La Liga side Levante, with the Reds possessing a recall option as part of the temporary deal. While he was loaned out after failing to qualify for a work permit, that will not be a problem in the second half of the campaign. So, Iraola does at least have options if Jacquet is ruled out, but none of them are optimum if Liverpool are made to do without one of their stars of the season so far.
