The 27-year-old limped off just 11 minutes into his return match against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup on February 9—his first game back after a six-week layoff with a similar issue.
Manager Arne Slot has indicated that Gomez is most likely to be absent for most of the season, and that surgery would not be excluded.
It’s a shame on both ends of the equation to Joe and the guys,” Slot admitted. He made a concerted effort to be “number one” again by the time he reached his first game back and, after only a couple minutes, he was flying out there and doing it straight from the track, etc. Any player and especially so late in the season is an immense challenge.
Liverpool has not yet come to a resolution as to whether surgery will be required for Gomez, but Slot has also stated that surgery would still be a viable option.
We have yet to learn how to do it but regardless whether or not surgery is performed, he is going stay away from the soccer field for a long time,” the Dutch manager said.
With Gomez’s injury, Liverpool is left with few options for central defence, with Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, and an upcoming talent Jarell Quansah the only senior-level current center-backs who can fit.
The England international has had a frustrating season, making just 10 starts in all competitions— a stark contrast to his 51 appearances last campaign.
Although Gomez is a setback, Slot is hopeful that Gomez might return before the end. “We expect him to be back in the final phase of the campaign,” he said, offering a glimmer of optimism.
In the meantime, Liverpool is set for a decisive Premier League match against Aston Villa on Wednesday, when victory would allow them to retain their position at the top of the table.
However, they won’t have forward Cody Gakpo who is still recovering from an injury, but will be back sooner or later.
