‘You worry for him…’ – Phil Thompson voices concern over ‘great’ but ‘delicate’ Liverpool player | OneFootball

Phil Thompson has voiced his concerns over one ‘delicate’ Liverpool player who’s endured yet another setback in recent days.

Joe Gomez had been enjoying an overdue sequence of starts for the Reds over the past month while right-back duo Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have been laid low with injury, and the 28-year-old has helped himself to a couple of rare assists in that time.

Unfortunately, he pulled up with a muscle issue midway through the first half of the 2-0 win against Brighton last weekend and had to be substituted, with Arne Slot doubtful that our number 2 will recover in time to face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Thompson preaches caution over ‘delicate’ Gomez

Injuries have sadly been a recurring theme of Gomez’s career at Liverpool, and it’s for that reason that Thompson has urged Arne Slot and the club’s medical staff to be cautious with handling his recovery from his latest setback.

Speaking on The Official Liverpool FC Podcast, the 1981 European Cup-winning captain said: “You look at Joe and sometimes you worry for him because of the muscle injuries.

“I remember down at Plymouth [in the FA Cup last season], he chased the first ball and I went, ‘Oh, he’s gone’. This was after about 5-10 minutes. You just know and you fear for him.

“When you always have that doubt in you, it’s hard to really express yourself. Look, everyone wants him to play and Joe is a great option, but he’s got to be very delicate in how many games he gets.”

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

At least Slot has other right-backs returning to the fold

It was such a shame to see Gomez being forced off against Brighton after such a bright start to the game (he set up Hugo Ekitike’ first-minute goal) and an encouraging run of matches in the Liverpool XI.

While we remain hopeful that his latest muscle injury is only a minor one, Thompson is right to call for caution when considering the 28-year-old’s history.

The Reds defender has had several long-term injuries throughout his time at Anfield, including the hamstring problem which sidelined him for five months last season either side of the aforementioned FA Cup defeat.

Thankfully for Liverpool, Bradley is back fit and has served his one-match domestic suspension, while Frimpong appears to be on the verge of a comeback, thus giving Slot some welcome choice at right-back despite Gomez breaking down once more.

All three of those have had more than their fair share of injury problems in recent weeks and months. Let’s hope that our number 2 can return to action soon and that his defensive teammates will remain available so that there won’t be a need to rush him back into the fold prematurely.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Brighton press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: