Jurgen Klopp has discussed Joe Gomez‘s recovery from injury, saying he plans to organise a friendly in November to aid his transition.
Gomez returned to first-team training on October 13, just over 12 months on from suffering a nightmare ACL injury while on duty with the England Under-21s.
This has kept him out of Klopp’s thinking so far, but having already made his mark on Merseyside since his £3.5 million move from Charlton Athletic in 2015, he remains in his long-term plans.
It will take time, but speaking to reporters at Melwood on Friday afternoon, Klopp provided a positive update on Gomez’s condition.
“He’s good. We always talk about all the players with the medical department,” he explained.
“Joe looks really good in the moment, but it’s a long way. There’s no rush in it.
“Thank god we don’t have to put pressure on him [to come back and play].
“He’s still a young boy and we can give him the time to come back in the right moment.”
Klopp was asked about a likely timeframe for Gomez’s return to the first team, with the possibility of turning out for the Liverpool Under-23s in the meantime.
The German remained upbeat, suggesting he would be looking to organise a behind-closed-doors friendly in the upcoming international break to give the 19-year-old some much-needed game time.
“I think obviously in the next few weeks [he can start to play],” he continued.
“Maybe in the international break we can get a game for him to play a few minutes then see what makes sense for the U23s.
“He looks good, he feels good. He’s tired a lot, especially after sessions but that’s normal. He’s in a good way.”
On his return to first-team availability, Gomez will boost Klopp’s defensive options considerably, able to operate in all roles across the back line.
Gomez has previously stated he sees his future at centre-back, and he certainly looked primed to excel there under Klopp in the long term.
Fan Comments