New Liverpool defender Jeremy Jacquet forced off with agonising shoulder injury ahead of £60m move to Anfield

During Rennes' clash with Lens, which his side lost 3-1 to the surprise league leaders, Jacquet looked to have suffered a severe shoulder injury. The Rennes ace was escorted off the pitch by his current employers' medical staff. Having screamed in pain upon hitting the deck, he carried his own arm in an improvised sling made by his own shirt, suggesting he may well have sustained significant damage.

During his time on the pitch, Jacquet completed 28 accurate passes, of 32 attempted, and he also lost two duels. 

While many may have expected Jacquet to replace Virgil van Dijk in the starting XI, Reds boss Arne Slot is confident that the Netherlands international will see out his contract which runs until 2027.

He said: “Everything that is done here is never in panic, it's always a long-term idea or something that has been thought about for a long time.

“Of course, we are aware of the fact that Virgil will not play for this club for 10 more years but he has a one-and-a-half year contract left so he will be with us for that period of time and maybe even longer if he keeps staying fit as he is now. As I've said before, what a compliment to him at his age to play every three days, not only for his club but also for his country.

“Hopefully he can stay as fit as he is for multiple years but this club, we are not stupid, we know somewhere in the upcoming years there is life without Virgil. I can say for every position that this club is not only thinking about short-term but mid-long term future in the decisions we make.”

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Jacquet has made a total of 19 starts for Rennes this season and Slot is excited for him to end up at Anfield.

He said: “Very pleasing of course. He's a very big talent and maybe even more than talent but we speak about talent because of his age. Second, because we weren't the only one interested in him so it's a big compliment to the people working really hard to sign players.

“Such a big talent and another example of the model we're using at this club - young, very talented players sometimes at the start of their careers or sometimes already a little bit a few years into their career but always players that are young and can improve us in the short term but also definitely in the long term. We've signed a lot of them recently and like I've said many times in the mid-long term future of this club, and even the short term, is in a very good place.”

Ex-star Jamie Carragher believes that Jacquet could replace Ibrahima Konate in the team.

He said: "When you look at stylistically what Jeremy Jacquet is, it tells me Ibrahima Konate is not signing (a new contract).

"I think Liverpool are going to go and buy a proper centre-back in the summer, who I would imagine will play alongside Virgil van Dijk, and then you've got two really good young centre-backs.

"They still need to play, but one of them - Giovanni Leoni - is coming back after an ACL, so it is not going to be an easy season for him next season. Van Dijk is going to be on the back of a World Cup, and he's going to be 12 months older.

"So, if Konate doesn't sign, they sign another player to replace Konate — a top-of-the-range centre-back to play right now — and you've got these two as back-up. I still think they'll get plenty of games."

Jacquet will hope to recover quickly as he aims to make a return at Rennes. The Reds, meanwhile, are currently sixth in the Premier League table ahead of their clash with Manchester City on Sunday. Slot's side can move to within one point of fifth-placed Chelsea with a win, and two off fourth-placed Manchester United.