NASHVILLE -- Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has admitted losing defender Joe Gomez to injury in Saturday's 4-2 preseason victory over Sunderland is "the worst news," but has backed new signing Jérémy Jacquet to feature during the club's tour of the United States.
Liverpool's win was soured by Gomez's injury. Goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas gave Liverpool a 4-2 win in the opener of their United States tour, with Timur Tutierov and Enzo le Fee replying for the Black Cats.
Gomez started the game as centre-back and captain, but his departure in the eighth minute added to Liverpool's defensive issues with new signing Jacquet rested after injury and Giovanni Leoni recovering following a long-term absence.
Jacquet, who joined the club this summer in a £55 million move from Rennes, was ruled of Liverpool's win as a precautionary measure before kick-off after missing the second half of last season with a shoulder injury.
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"Probably the worst news has been straight away the injury of Joe," Iraola told LFCTV after the game. "We were happy because we were going through training without losing any players and unluckily for us we've lost Joe straight away.
"With Jeremy we decided to take it easy with him, he's had a lot of months without playing, he's been training very well, but we're going to take it easy with him. He will play probably in the last game of this U.S. tour, he will have time to have minutes, but we were kind of happy, but we've lost one now."
At a news conference in Chicago earlier this week, Iraola acknowledged that Liverpool's defence is "very thin," with Ibrahima Konaté having left the club on a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer. Meanwhile, center back Leoni is still working his way back to fitness after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) last September.
Captain Virgil van Dijk will report for preseason training next week however he won't join Liverpool in the United States, instead beginning his training regime at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.
Iraola felt the performance against Sunderland gives Liverpool a platform from which to build on ahead of meeting Wrexham in New York and Leeds in Chicago.
He said: "A lot of things to correct, obviously, it's the first day. You could feel the heavy legs, the players have been training.
"So, we lacked some freshness. But it will give us a good starting point to improve things."
Iraola confirmed that Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch are in Chicago following their post-World Cup breaks and will soon rejoin the squad.
