Iraola inherits defensive crisis as Liverpool chase Barcola fix

Gomez's muscle injury in a pre-season friendly against Sunderland has forced Liverpool's hand defensively. With the 27-year-old ruled out of the Newcastle trip, Virgil van Dijk stands as the sole fit senior centre-back, according to Sky Sports.

Jacquet, who arrived from Rennes for £60m, has not featured in pre-season due to a shoulder injury sustained in February. Giovanni Leoni, the fourth-choice option, remains sidelined following an ACL tear suffered on his Liverpool debut last September. The club views Gomez's absence as short-term and has no plans to pursue a centre-back replacement this window.

Iraola has deployed youth players Luke Chambers, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye in friendlies, with midfielder Ryan Gravenberch also an option. Van Dijk's late arrival from his World Cup break compounds the problem—whoever partners him against Newcastle will have minimal preparation time.

Right-back presents another headache. Conor Bradley remains months away from returning to a serious knee injury, leaving Jeremie Frimpong and youth options. The club is not prioritising a right-back signing this window.

Liverpool's immediate attention centres on acquiring a marquee wide forward. Sky Sports reports the club expects to formalise interest in PSG's Bradley Barcola. Victor Munoz has already joined from Celta Vigo, but the 23-year-old lacks the profile to replace Mohamed Salah alone. Both Barcola and Munoz prefer the left flank, potentially limiting Liverpool's attacking flexibility.