Liverpool supervisor Arne Slot has confirmed that Joe Gomez requested to be taken off in opposition to Plymouth Argyle as a result of he feared that “issues will go mistaken” had been he to try to proceed.
The 27-year-old captained a heavily-rotated Liverpool staff in opposition to an Argyle aspect who prop up the Championship desk after profitable simply 5 of their 30 matches.
However he lasted simply ten minutes of a sport Liverpool would go on to lose 1-0, courtesy of Ryan Hardie’s penalty following handball from midfielder Harvey Elliott.
Gomez has solely simply returned to motion after struggling a hamstring harm within the 5-0 win over West Ham United on the finish of December, and Slot confirmed after the sport that he was not but certain if the versatile defender had suffered a reoccurrence of the identical drawback.
“I’m not too certain. I’m not too certain if it was the identical leg, however I have not had time to ask him,” Slot informed reporters. “It was clear, I believe everyone knows which second he felt a bit insecure about [it] as a result of he did not dash again totally.
“Then he stated, ‘I’m not 100 per cent certain and I’m afraid if I make one further dash issues will go mistaken.’
“It isn’t torn I assume, nevertheless it did not really feel good for him. That was a little bit of a blow as a result of Curtis Jones was on the bench, however he got here to me this morning and stated, ‘I do not suppose I’m totally recovered but’ as properly after the coaching session of yesterday.
“That unexpectedly led to the actual fact we had been with just a few extra kids on the pitch than was the concept earlier than the sport, however nonetheless there was sufficient high quality on the pitch to get a greater outcome than this.”
Slot opted to relaxation Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate for the journey to Dwelling Park, with the duo not even on the bench for the present Premier League leaders. As such, Gomez made approach for younger full-back Isaac Mabaya when he got here off – the teen then sacrificed within the second half as Liverpool tried to get again into the tie.
