Liverpool's Defensive Concerns Ahead of Premier League Opener

Andoni Iraola will take his new Liverpool side into the Premier League curtain-raiser at Newcastle next weekend with one glaring concern: central defence is already creaking.

Virgil van Dijk stands as the only fully fit senior centre-back, a commanding presence surrounded by question marks and rehab schedules.

New £60million signing Jacquet underlines that tension. The defender missed the recent 3-2 defeat to Monaco with an unspecified issue and is still feeling the effects of a disrupted year. His final season at Rennes was cut short by a shoulder injury, and he has yet to feature in pre-season. The club have eased him back into full training and he is thrown straight into the XI against Como, but Iraola is walking a tightrope between necessity and caution.

The Spaniard has not waited for fate to decide his back line. He has moved in the market, landing Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona. The Uruguay international starts the night on the bench at Anfield, a high-calibre insurance policy for a defensive unit that has been stripped back too far, too early.

Giovanni Leoni is still working his way back from the ACL injury that wrecked his debut a year ago. Joe Gomez, who had hoped to stake an early claim under the new manager, limped off during the 4-2 win over Sunderland in the USA last month, making way for youngster Ifeanyi Ndukwe. That muscle problem is expected to derail his start to the season and leaves Iraola with another hole to plug.

The turnover has been brutal. Ibrahima Konate walked away on a free at the end of his contract and has already resurfaced at Real Madrid. One experienced body gone, no like-for-like replacement secured on a permanent deal, and the calendar already ticking towards St James’ Park.

The problems are not confined to the back line. Curtis Jones has been managing a hip issue while transfer noise around a possible move to Inter Milan hums in the background. He returned to training this week after sitting out the Monaco defeat, but he is absent again here, his rhythm broken at exactly the wrong time.

There is at least some relief in midfield. Victor Munoz and Alexis Mac Allister are back from their post-World Cup breaks and have been eased in away from the spotlight. Both started with Liverpool’s second string in a behind-closed-doors 70-minute friendly against Como at the training ground on Sunday, a low-key workout that finished goalless.

Munoz steps up to the bench for the second meeting with the Italian side at Anfield and will be desperate for more than just a token run-out. With the season opener looming and Iraola still juggling absences, every minute now carries weight.