Liverpool’s Defensive Concerns Grow Ahead of Como Friendlies
Liverpool head into their final pre-season double-header against Como with more questions than answers at the back, and one name dominates the worry list: Jeremy Jacquet.
The £60million summer signing from Rennes has yet to kick a ball for his new club. An unspecified issue kept him out of the 3-2 defeat to Monaco, adding fresh concern after a shoulder problem curtailed his previous season. He is back in full training ahead of Sunday’s friendlies at Anfield, but Andoni Iraola is in no mood to gamble.
For the new head coach, this is not the pre-season he imagined.
Centre-back crisis shadows Iraola’s start
Central defence is already a problem area. With the new Premier League campaign looming, Virgil van Dijk is, for now, the only fully fit senior centre-back.
Giovanni Leoni remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from the ACL injury he suffered on debut in the Carabao Cup a year ago. Joe Gomez, who had been expected to play a key role, limped off during the 4-2 win over Sunderland with a muscle problem that is likely to rule him out of the season’s opening weeks. He was replaced that day by youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe.
The pressure finally told in the transfer market. Iraola has moved to plug the gap by bringing in Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, a significant short-term fix for a suddenly thin department.
The reshaping at the back has also been forced by departure. Ibrahima Konate left on a free transfer at the end of his contract and has joined Real Madrid, stripping away another experienced option from the heart of defence.
Youngsters pushed towards the spotlight
With senior bodies scarce, Iraola has turned to youth.
Ndukwe and fellow new signing Talla Ndiaye have both been handed minutes in pre-season, as has Luke Chambers. Their involvement has been more than a token gesture; it has been a necessity.
Sunday’s schedule — a behind-closed-doors game at 11.30am BST followed by a ticketed friendly at 6pm BST — offers the Spaniard a final look at which youngsters can be trusted when the real thing starts.
What he lacks in seasoned cover, he makes up for in eager legs and raw talent.
Midfield fitness puzzles and World Cup fatigue
The problems are not confined to defence. Curtis Jones has been nursing a hip injury amid links with a move to Inter Milan. He missed the defeat to Monaco but has now returned to training, giving Iraola at least a glimmer of extra control in midfield if he is passed fit to feature.
There is also a watchful eye on Liverpool’s World Cup finalists. Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz are back at the club after their nations’ runs to the final, but their fitness will be monitored closely. Match sharpness and fatigue sit uneasily together at this stage of the summer.
Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike are long-term absentees with knee and Achilles injuries respectively, trimming Iraola’s options on the flanks and in attack.
The one major boost? Van Dijk and first-choice goalkeeper Alisson both returned to action against Monaco, restoring some authority through the spine of the team.
How Liverpool could line up vs Como
With so many moving parts, Iraola’s selection for the Como friendlies will reveal plenty about his thinking. Whether he chooses to roll out what he considers his strongest available XI in either game remains to be seen, but the current projected line-up looks like this:
Predicted Liverpool XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Jacquet, van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Ngumouha, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
Doubts: Jacquet, Jones, Mac Allister, Munoz Injured: Bradley, Leoni, Ekitike, Gomez, Danns
Venue: Anfield Kick-offs: Behind closed doors – 11.30am BST; ticketed friendly – 6pm BST, Sunday, August 16, 2026
For Iraola, these are no longer gentle tune-ups. With a threadbare defence, returning World Cup stars and youngsters queuing for a chance, the Como games now double as an early stress test of Liverpool’s depth — and of how quickly their new manager can turn uncertainty into something resembling a settled side.
