Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has confirmed defender Joe Gomez will miss the start of the new season after picking up a muscle injury during the Reds' preseason tour of the United States.
Gomez was forced off after just eight minutes in Liverpool's 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday and did not feature in the 1-0 victory against Wrexham in New York on Wednesday night.
While the 29-year-old's injury is not thought to be serious, Iraola has said he will not be available to play against Newcastle United on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Aug. 23.
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"Joe has a muscle injury," Iraola said at a news conference in Chicago on Thursday. "It was quite clear since he complained straightaway, so he will be out for some weeks.
"It's difficult to say [in terms of a timescale] -- normally one month. If it goes very well then a little bit less. If it goes bad then a bit more. It's not massive. But I think it will be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far from that but it shouldn't be a lot more."
Liverpool's Joe Gomez suffered an injury in the preseason friendly match against Sunderland on Saturday. Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images Gomez's absence is a blow for Liverpool, who are already short in the centre-back department following Ibrahima Konaté's exit on a free transfer to Real Madrid at the end of last season. New signing Jérémy Jacquet could feature against Leeds United in Chicago on Sunday but Giovanni Leoni remains unavailable while Virgil van Dijk will not link up with Iraola's squad until they return from the U.S. next week.
The absence of senior defenders means Iraola has had to lean on academy talent during this tour, with teenagers Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye having been called in to deputise over the past week.
"You've seen in these games that we are pretty thin in the centre-back position," Iraola said. "We still don't have Virgil. The only centre-backs we have right now are Mor and Ifeanyi who are 18, just arrived at the club and are doing incredibly well.
"Yesterday Luke Chambers played there [against Wrexham]. He's not a centre-back, but he played really well. Until we recover some bodies, I think Jeremy is ready to go.
"We will recover Virgil, but I'm happy that playing against Sunderland and Wrexham with 18-year-old centre-backs, the team has shown composure and solidity at the back and it speaks very well about them."