Liverpool’s defensive woes deepened during their 1-0 FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle as Joe Gomez was forced off with an injury just 11 minutes into his long-awaited return.
The defender, who had been sidelined since late December with a hamstring issue, lasted barely a quarter of an hour before signaling to the bench that he couldn’t continue.
Gomez’s early exit forced Arne Slot into an unplanned reshuffle, with 20-year-old Isaac Mabaya making his senior debut at right-back and Wataru Endo dropping into central defense. Speaking after the match, Slot provided a mixed update on Gomez’s condition, offering some relief but also raising concerns.
“I’m not too sure if it was the same leg,” Slot said. “I haven’t had time to ask him, but it was clear that he felt insecure. He didn’t sprint back fully and said, ‘I’m not 100 percent sure. I’m afraid if I make a sprint, things will go wrong.’”
While Slot confirmed the injury isn’t a tear, he admitted it “didn’t feel good” for Gomez. The defender’s absence added to an already challenging afternoon for Liverpool, who were without several key players, including Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alisson.
Slot also revealed that Curtis Jones, who was named on the bench, had approached him before the game to express doubts about his fitness. “Curtis came to me this morning and said, ‘I don’t think I’m fully recovered yet,’ after yesterday’s training session,” Slot explained. “That meant we ended up with more youngsters on the pitch than we initially planned.”
The injury to Gomez leaves Liverpool’s defensive options stretched ahead of Wednesday’s Merseyside derby against Everton. Alexander-Arnold remains a doubt, and Conor Bradley’s absence against Plymouth suggests he may not be ready to start either
