Liverpool suffered an early setback during their pre-season tour in the United States as defender Joe Gomez was forced to leave the field within the first 10 minutes of their friendly against Sunderland on Saturday in Nashville. The match, which marked Andoni Iraola’s debut as Liverpool head coach, ended in a 4-2 victory for the Reds, with goals from Kieran Morrison, Dominik Szoboszlai, Federico Chiesa, and Lewis Koumas securing the win.

Gomez’s injury occurred shortly after kickoff, prompting a substitution that saw Ifeanyi Ndukwe come on to partner teenager Mor Talla Ndiaye in defense. Although the full extent of Gomez’s injury has not been disclosed, Iraola described the incident as “the worst news” of their pre-season run so far. The defender, who captained Liverpool during the match, was able to walk off the pitch unaided, but his premature exit is a concern as the team ramps up preparations for the upcoming season.

Despite the early injury blow, Liverpool's coach remained focused on the positives from the match, noting that players were still adjusting to the rigors of training and match fitness. “A lot of things to correct, obviously, it’s the first day. You could feel the heavy legs, the players have been training,” Iraola said. He also highlighted that the team had been progressing through their preparations without losing players until the injury to Gomez.

Meanwhile, Liverpool’s recent £60 million summer signing Jeremy Jacquet is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained earlier in the year. Jacquet has been carefully managed in training and did not appear against Sunderland. Iraola indicated that the centre-back is expected to feature in the final pre-season game of the U.S. tour against Leeds United on Sunday, helping him gain match fitness ahead of the competitive season.

Other new arrivals, including Florian Wirtz, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexander Isak, have joined the squad at the team’s training base in Chicago. Liverpool are scheduled to continue their pre-season campaign with additional fixtures against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York on Thursday and Leeds United in Chicago, followed by matches against Monaco and Como. The team’s Premier League season will commence with an away game against Newcastle on August 23.