Arne Slot Confirms Joe Gomez of Liverpool to Face Extended Absence Due to Hamstring Injury

Premier League frontrunners Liverpool have suffered another injury setback ahead of their Wednesday match against Aston Villa, with defender Joe Gomez (27) confirmed to be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury, as announced by manager Arne Slot (46) on Tuesday.

Gomez, who has been a key player for England, had just returned from another hamstring issue that kept him sidelined at the start of the year. Unfortunately, his comeback was cut short just 11 minutes into this month’s FA Cup defeat to Plymouth Argyle, when he sustained yet another injury.

“Joe will be out for quite a while. He’s going to miss numerous weeks due to this hamstring injury,” Slot disclosed to the press.

The manager revealed that Gomez, who has been with Liverpool since 2015, might require surgery and is likely to miss a significant portion of the remainder of the season.

“We are hoping he will return towards the end of the season,” Slot added.

“He put in a tremendous amount of effort to make his comeback. In his first match back, he was already sprinting within two or three minutes, and now he’s out for weeks again. That’s incredibly tough for any player.”

Meanwhile, striker Cody Gakpo, who was absent from Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers due to injury, is nearing fitness but will not be ready for Wednesday’s fixture, according to Slot.

The Dutch forward highlighted that despite Aston Villa sitting ninth and being without a win in their last four league games, Liverpool should expect a challenging encounter at Villa Park.

“They finished in the top eight of the Champions League, which indicates they are a strong team,” he stated.

“It’s going to be another tough match for us, as it is for everyone. They boast an impressive home record, which will certainly present a challenge, but we’ve also done reasonably well away from home this season.”