Andoni Iraola expects to have new signing Jeremy Jacquet back fit for Liverpool’s final friendly against Serie A club Como at Anfield next Sunday.
The 21-year-old French defender has not featured in any of the warm-up matches since joining the club in a £60million move from Rennes. The deal was agreed in the winter window but did not officially move to Liverpool until this summer.
Jacquet was able to start pre-season having recovered from the serious shoulder injury which sidelined him in February. However, a minor knee problem sustained in training has led to Liverpool taking a cautious approach with him in recent weeks.
“We were in doubt whether to put Jeremy in today, but he should be fine for the next one,” Iraola told LFCTV following Sunday’s 3-2 home friendly defeat to Monaco. “It’s taking a bit more time than we were expecting.”
In the absence of Jacquet and the injured duo of Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni, captain Virgil van Dijk formed a centre-back partnership with teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe against Monaco.
When Iraola rung the changes in the second half, Wataru Endo and Luke Chambers formed a makeshift defensive double act.
Reinforcements are on the way with Uruguayan Ronald Araujo undergoing a medical today ahead of completing a season-long loan move to Liverpool from Barcelona.
Curtis Jones wasn’t involved against Monaco as speculation over his future rumbles on. The academy graduate, who is inside the final year of his contract, is the subject of interest from Italian champions Inter, but Iraola insists his absence was down to fitness.
“Curtis has trained every day, but yesterday he finished with some issues in the hip,” he added. “Nothing big, but it didn’t make any sense to risk him.”
Reflecting on the defeat as Liverpool threw away a 2-0 lead, Iraola said: “We played a good first half, but we cannot sustain the level we want for all of the game.
“They were much better in the second half and deserved to turn around the game. We have work to do. We can take a lot of positives, but also a lot of negatives.”
