Liverpool get ‘serious’ Jeremy Jacquet injury update as star in agony | Football | Sport

Rennes manager Habib Beye confirmed Jeremy Jacquet sustained a “serious” injury during the club’s 3-1 defeat to Lens on Saturday. The defender, who earlier this week completed a £60million transfer to Anfield, was withdrawn in the 69th minute after suffering an injury to his left shoulder.

Jacquet appeared to be in considerable discomfort and was substituted by Mahamadou Nagida. The new Liverpool signing had to cradle his left arm and was helped from the field by a member of the Rennes medical staff, as he now awaits a timeline on a potential return to action. There’s a cruel twist of fate that the injury happened just five days after he passed his medical with Liverpool, before finalising his summer transfer to the Reds.

Speaking following Saturday’s match, Beye said: “For Jeremy, it’s his shoulder, and for Abdelhamid [Ait Boudlal, the other Rennes player injured] it’s muscular.

The former Premier League defender then added on their availability going forward: “We’ll have time to see, but it’s definitely quite serious for both of them.”

Whilst Liverpool will be worried about the long-term implications of the injury, it’s Rennes who face the most pressing concern. Jacquet has become an integral part of the squad, sitting out just two league fixtures so far this season, both through suspension.

The 20-year-old emphasised the significance of helping Rennes finish the campaign strongly, in a post issued after his Liverpool transfer was announced. “I am honored to sign for Liverpool, one of the greatest football institutions in the world,” Jacquet said in his statement.

“It was also very important for me to finish my time in red and black on a high, at my boyhood club, the club of my heart.

“I’m approaching this second half of the season with the desire to experience some great moments with my team-mates and the fans.”

Saturday’s outcome dealt a setback to Rennes’ ambitions of qualifying for European competition, whilst Lens leapfrogged Paris Saint-Germain to claim top spot with the victory. Meanwhile, Liverpool will be hoping for encouraging news regarding Jacquet in the days ahead.

It appears the injury crisis that has plagued the Reds’ defensive ranks this campaign continues to affect even prospective squad additions. At present, just four of Arne Slot’s eight defenders are available for selection ahead of this weekend’s encounter with Manchester City.

Joe Gomez could potentially return in time to face Pep Guardiola’s men at Anfield, though Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong remain sidelined through injury. That has forced the manager into making some creative switches to get around those issues, such as the use of Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones at right-back.

Despite those injuries, Liverpool will still need to find a way to win against a Man City side who have been far from their usual destructive selves. The Reds are battling to stay in the Champions League hunt, following a turnaround in form from both Chelsea and Manchester United.

Despite last week’s 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle, five points separate Slot’s team from United in fourth and four points from the Blues in fifth.