Friday 15 July 2016 16:12, UK
Liverpool defender Joe Gomez has suffered a fresh injury setback and will miss the start of the new Premier League season.
The 19-year-old had been working his way back to fitness from the knee injury, sustained in October while playing for England Under-21s, which ended his 2015-16 campaign.
However, he has now picked up an Achilles problem, something he confirmed via a message on his Instagram account on Friday afternoon that read: "Setback in my return to training with an Achilles tendinopathy... Rehab is rarely a smooth path."
The Instagram message, accompanied by pictures of Gomez doing work in the gym, ended with a more upbeat tone, reading: "No issues with my knee... Feels strong and healthy. Thanks for the messages of support.
"I'll be hungrier than ever when I return! Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose."
His injury is still being assessed by Liverpool in terms of its severity, but he will definitely miss their Premier League opener against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on August 14.
While the amount of time that Gomez will be unavailable for is unclear at this stage, the news will be a considerable concern for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.
Klopp was already short of central defensive options, with Mamadou Sakho due to be out for a month with an Achilles complaint of his own and Martin Skrtel having been sold to Fenerbahce.
He does have new recruit Joel Matip to call upon, plus Dejan Lovren, but may well now look to bring in further reinforcements in that position.
