Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that defender Joe Gomez will remain unavailable for at least a few more weeks, meaning he will be sidelined for the Champions League clash with Bayern Munich in mid February.
The youngster was a vital part of Liverpool's impressive start to the season, but unfortunately suffered a leg fracture during December's victory over Burnley. As a result, he has missed Liverpool's last 11 fixtures, and his spell on the sidelines appears set to continue.
According to Mirror journalist David Maddock, Klopp insisted that Gomez will not be available for the upcoming clash with Bayern Munich, describing it as "not a realistic target".
However, the German did add that he expects Gomez to return "any time" after the fixture, suggesting that his recovery is nearing completion.
With the 21-year-old's injury set to keep him on the sidelines, Gomez will miss Liverpool's meeting with West Ham United on Monday, as well as the clash with Bournemouth on the following Saturday.
Gomez has been one of several Liverpool defenders to be ruled out through injury in recent weeks. Both Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren have had spells on the injury table, meaning Klopp has often been forced to deploy midfielder Fabinho as a central defender.
At the start of the season, Gomez formed a formidable partnership with Virgil van Dijk in the heart of Liverpool's defence, and the duo played a huge part in ensuring that Liverpool went undefeated during the first 15 league matches of the season.
Fans will be eager to see Gomez return to the lineup as soon as possible, given the side have been guilty of some unconvincing defensive performances in recent weeks.
After suffering their first league defeat of the season at the hands of Manchester City, Liverpool also conceded three goals in a dramatic 4-3 victory over Crystal Palace, and the team have kept just one clean sheet since the Boxing Day victory over Newcastle United.
Source :
90min
