Andoni Iraola confirms Liverpool star could make his debut against Sunderland

Andoni Iraola confirms Liverpool star could make his debut against Sunderland Jeremy Jacquet Set for Liverpool Debut as Liverpool Begin USA Pre-Season Tour Liverpool’s pre-season starts this weekend with a trip to the United States and a friendly against Sunderland. Wrexham and Leeds United follow. It is not a glamorous schedule, but that is beside the point. Pre-season is about bodies, sharpness and first impressions, and for Andoni Iraola, this is the first proper chance to put shape on a squad he has inherited at a club that badly lost its way in 2025/26. There is also one obvious point of interest, Jeremy Jacquet. Liverpool supporters have not had much to cling to this summer. Several senior players are still away after World Cup duty, and the volume of new arrivals has hardly set pulses racing. So attention turns quickly to the young French centre-back, partly because he is new, partly because there is a fee attached, and partly because Liverpool need defensive clarity. Jeremy Jacquet ready for action There had been some uncertainty over whether Jacquet would be ready for the tour after carrying a shoulder injury since February. That doubt has now gone. Iraola made it clear the defender is available immediately, saying: “Jeremy was a player that I knew very well, even before signing for Liverpool.” He added: “Still being young, I think he has all the tools that we will need for that position. “He also came into the last months of the [past] season with a shoulder injury, but he is fully healed. He has been already training with the U21s. He’s ready to go from the beginning.” Photo: IMAGO That is the line that matters. Fit, available, no drama. If Jacquet travels, he should play against Sunderland in Nashville. If he does not feature there, then Wrexham or Leeds will almost certainly provide his first outing. Liverpool defence under spotlight This matters because Liverpool’s centre-back picture still looks loose. Virgil van Dijk is expected back around the Sunderland game, though whether he makes the trip remains unclear. Giovanni Leoni is another name worth watching if included. Joe Gomez should get minutes, while academy players such as Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe may also be involved. That leaves Jacquet in a straightforward position. He has arrived fit enough to contribute and young enough to be judged quickly. Pre-season friendlies do not settle careers, but they do shape early narratives. For Liverpool, and for Iraola, this is a useful start. For Jacquet, it is simpler than that. Get on the pitch, look comfortable, and remove one uncertainty before the serious football begins.