Liverpool make difficult Jeremy Jacquet decision after serious injury

Liverpool have reluctantly sanctioned shoulder surgery for defensive prospect Jeremy Jacquet after the 19-year-old sustained a significant injury while on loan at Rennes, effectively ending his 2024-25 campaign before it had truly begun.

The France youth international damaged his shoulder during weekend action for the Ligue 1 club, prompting immediate medical assessment. With rehabilitation expected to stretch well into the summer, Jacquet will go under the knife with Liverpool’s full approval, even though the centre-back is technically plying his trade outside Anfield this season.

It is the latest in a harrowing sequence of long-term setbacks to have hit the Reds’ squad and wider talent pool. The injury crisis began on the opening weekend when marquee summer signing Giovanni Leoni ruptured knee ligaments minutes into his debut, ruling the Italian out for the entire season. Alexander Isak then fractured his leg while scoring against Tottenham, and although the Sweden striker could return before May, doubts persist over whether he can regain peak condition in time to influence the run-in. Full-back Conor Bradley compounded the gloom last month by suffering extensive knee damage that may keep him sidelined until 2027.

Jacquet’s misfortune extends the pattern beyond Melwood, underlining how thin the margin has become between availability and absence. Liverpool’s medical staff will now oversee a six-month rehabilitation programme designed to restore strength and mobility to the defender’s shoulder, with the aim of having him ready for the first day of pre-season training in July. Even so, the lay-off deprives the player of valuable senior minutes in one of the most formative periods of his development, and club officials admit the timing is far from ideal.

Although the decision to proceed with surgery was effectively made once scans revealed the extent of the damage, club sources describe the final confirmation as “difficult”, recognising that Jacquet will spend the next half-year regaining fitness rather than refining the tactical aspects of his game. Liverpool retain confidence that the teenager can still fulfil the potential that persuaded them to secure his signature from Rennes last summer, but accept the pathway to senior involvement has become more complicated.

For now, the focus shifts to a meticulous recovery plan monitored jointly by Rennes’ physiotherapists and Liverpool’s performance team, with the shared objective of ensuring Jacquet reports back next summer both physically robust and mentally refreshed. In the meantime, the Reds must continue to navigate an increasingly congested treatment room, hoping the spate of serious injuries has finally reached its nadir.