Liverpool defender Joe Gomez out for extended period, may need surgery

The 27-year-old England centre-back was forced off after just 11 minutes during Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round loss to Plymouth Argyle on February 9. This was his first match since recovering from a previous hamstring issue that kept him out for six weeks.

The club has not yet made a final decision on whether Gomez will need an operation. However, Slot mentioned that surgery is a possibility, and regardless of the outcome, the defender will be sidelined for an extended period.

"It's a big setback for both Joe and us," Slot remarked. "He worked extremely hard to recover, and then, in his first game back, after just two or three minutes, we saw him sprinting, and now he's out for weeks again."

"That's always tough for a player, especially at this stage of the season when everyone is looking forward to the run-in."

Slot added that Gomez will miss a large portion of the remaining season but is hopeful the defender will be back for the final stretch of matches.

Liverpool will face Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday, aiming to extend their lead to 10 points at the top of the Premier League with a victory.

Cody Gakpo, who missed Liverpool's 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday due to a minor injury, will also remain unavailable.

This season, Gomez has made nine Premier League appearances. 

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