Liverpool boss Arne Slot provides an injury update on Curtis Jones
Liverpool suffered a blow on Friday when Curtis Jones was forced midway through the first half of their pre-season friendly win over Real Betis in Pittsburgh.
Days after claiming that new gaffer Arne Slot’s tactics suit him better, Curtis Jones managed just 25 minutes on the pitch against Real Betis after picking up a knock. It is a shame as the midfielder after being subbed off, walked down the tunnel for further treatment. He was replaced by youngster Trey Nyoni.
The Liverpool ECHO correspondent Paul Grost confirmed the news on his X account, spotting the 23-year-old in some discomfort during a water break. After the game, Arne Slot conceded an injury concern for Jones.
“I think it’s too early to tell [how bad it is]. He maybe could have played on, but I think maybe you could see he was not at 100 per cent,” Slot told the club’s official website.
“In a friendly game, with so many days coming up in our tour, it was best to take him off. Hopefully he can recover from [it] really fast, but we have to wait and see.
“We hope he recovers really fast so we can see him in the next few games.”
Going by Slot’s words in the post-match press conference, the choice of substituting Jones was primarily driven by a cautious approach considering the intense schedule of the US pre-season tour. This underlines the Dutchman and his coaching staff’s importance on player health and safety.
Nonetheless, even if it is a minor knock for Jones, it could have consequences later when the new season begins. The academy boy endured an injury-hit 2023/24 season that limited his contributions to the team. A combination of ankle and thigh injuries sidelined him for more than three months, hampering his development in the first team.
The former England youth international could only manage 23 Premier League appearances in the process. Thus, it is a setback for Jones at a time when he’ll be raring to prove his worth to our new gaffer. Given the intense competition for midfield spots, the academy graduate faces a tough task to establish himself in Slot’s first XI.
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While we wait for a more concrete injury update, the only positive Liverpool fans could take was Jones walking off the pitch without much help from the physios. Slot’s proactive decision to not allow the midfielder to continue after suffering a knock in a friendly fixture reflects his futuristic thinking for the player and team’s benefit.
