Joe Gomez is in a race against time to be fit for Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Fulham on Sunday, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper claim the defender, who has been one of the Reds’ star performers this season, is struggling with an Achilles injury and did not start the 2-0 Champions League defeat to Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday “as a precaution”.
The Telegraph report Gomez will be monitored over the coming days as he nurses his injury and has not given up hope of reclaiming his place in the starting XI for the weekend 12pm kick-off at Anfield.
OPINION
Gomez has been one of Liverpool’s star performers this season and Jurgen Klopp will be eager to reinstate him into the team after he started on the bench in midweek. The 21-year-old was replaced by Joel Matip at centre-back and the team delivered their worst defensive half of the campaign in the opening period. Even the hallowed Virgil van Dijk was way below par. Gomez did come on at half-time against Red Star, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back. The England international is highly competent in all defensive positions, but is at his best in the centre of defence, where his partnership with Van Dijk has laid the foundations for Liverpool’s Premier League title challenge. The Merseysiders have quality cover in Matip and Dejan Lovren, who was ill in midweek despite travelling with the squad to Belgrade, but Gomez has now leapfrogged that senior duo to become the favoured partner of main man Van Dijk.