Joe Gomez has withdrawn from Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia due to injury, manager Arne Slot has confirmed.
The defender will return to Merseyside to receive treatment for an Achilles problem at the AXA Training Centre.
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com ahead of Saturday’s meeting with AC Milan in Hong Kong, Slot said: “He was, of course, with us for the first part of the week, but he had some Achilles problems.
“We thought it was better to assess it back in England and for him to work on him to come back to the team, probably in more ideal circumstances for him than be part of the group that every time goes out.
“So, we decided to let him go back to England. But we hope and expect to have him back soon.”
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez have both been omitted from Liverpool’s 22-man squad for the pre-season friendly against AC Milan in Hong Kong.
Slot has named the squad ahead of the clash with the Serie A giants, with Florian Wirtz starting, while new signing Hugo Ekitike, who joined the team on Thursday, also misses out.
Nunez has recently been linked with a move to Napoli, with additional interest reportedly coming from the Saudi Pro League.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz is currently the subject of ongoing negotiations between Liverpool and Bayern Munich, who are said to be preparing a second bid exceeding £60million for the Colombian international.
Liverpool remain reluctant to sell Diaz. Having already rejected an offer from Barcelona in June, Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have intensified their pursuit in recent days.
An initial £60million bid was turned down earlier this month, but discussions have since resumed.
It is believed Diaz is interested in exploring his options, especially after being informed that an improved contract extension would not be offered. The 28-year-old’s current deal runs until 2027.
Neither Diaz nor Nunez are involved in the friendly, as Slot names a front three of Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, and teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, who has impressed during the summer schedule.
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