Liverpool were already going to spend much of this week assessing the damage inflicted by an unusually long international break.

The situation became more complicated on Monday night.

Jérémy Jacquet was left out of France’s squad for their Nations League meeting with Belgium after suffering what the French Football Federation described as a strain to his left hamstring. No recovery timeframe has been given, and the 21-year-old is expected back at Liverpool for further assessment.

For most players, that would represent an unwelcome interruption.

For Jacquet, the timing is particularly significant.

Liverpool host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday in the first Premier League meeting between the clubs since the independent commission ruling that found City guilty of multiple financial-rule breaches. City have appealed that verdict, but the footballing focus now turns towards Anfield — and Iraola may have to prepare for it without one of the most important pieces of his emerging defensive structure.

Jacquet has started all five of Liverpool’s Premier League matches this season. Across those games he has played 415 minutes, forming a partnership with Virgil van Dijk that has become one of the clearest features of Iraola’s opening months in charge.

The question is no longer whether Jacquet has earned his place.

It is what Liverpool lose if he cannot take it.

Jacquet arrived from Rennes in the summer with relatively little senior experience for a player immediately entering one of the most demanding defensive environments in European football.

That has not stopped Iraola trusting him.

He made his competitive Liverpool debut at Newcastle on the opening weekend and has remained in the league side ever since. His presence alongside Van Dijk has allowed Liverpool to maintain a left-right balance in central defence while giving the back line a defender comfortable enough to step into midfield and defend aggressively when required.

The clearest evidence of his development came in Liverpool’s last match before the international break.

At Bournemouth, Jacquet was named Player of the Match after helping Liverpool protect a 1-0 victory. Liverpool’s own analysis credited him with excellent positioning, key interceptions and a last-ditch block, while Bournemouth’s expected-goals figure of 0.76 was their lowest at home in the Premier League during 2026.

His work in possession was equally notable.

Jacquet had 71 touches and completed 54 of 61 passes, with 10 classified by Opta as line-breaking. That is an important detail because his value to Iraola is not limited to stopping attacks. He is increasingly being asked to help Liverpool start them.

That was evident in the same game. With Bournemouth attempting to make the contest physical and transitional, Liverpool needed their centre-backs to be comfortable receiving the ball, carrying the first phase forward and finding midfielders beyond the initial press.

Jacquet was.

It is why his absence would be more complicated than simply replacing one centre-back with another.

Van Dijk remains the constant.

The question for Iraola would be who gives him the best partner against a Manchester City side capable of testing the centre-backs in several different ways.

Jacquet’s athleticism and willingness to defend forward have complemented Van Dijk’s positioning and ability to control space behind the defensive line. The younger defender can attack duels and step out while Van Dijk provides the security behind him.

That relationship has developed quickly.

Jacquet has featured in every league game and Liverpool’s unbeaten start has coincided with his introduction into the defence.

That does not mean Liverpool’s defence would suddenly collapse without him.

It does mean Iraola would be changing a partnership that has barely had time to settle.

And the opponent makes that change more significant.

Manchester City can stretch a defensive structure horizontally with their wingers and full-backs, attack the spaces between centre-back and full-back and then use central combinations to pull defenders away from their preferred positions.

The ability to decide when to step out and when to hold the line will be crucial.

Jacquet has spent the opening weeks of the season learning those decisions alongside Van Dijk.

Someone else may now have to step in.

If Jacquet cannot recover in time, Iraola has options.

Ronald Araújo has already shown he can operate at right-back for Liverpool, while Joe Gomez has been working his way back from injury and provides the more natural centre-back alternative.

That creates a selection decision rather than a straightforward replacement.

Playing Araújo centrally would preserve much of Jacquet’s physical profile. It would also mean deciding what happens at right-back.

Gomez could move inside and allow Araújo to remain at full-back, although that would change the balance of the defence in a different way.

There is also the possibility of simply selecting Gomez alongside Van Dijk and retaining Araújo at right-back.

The choice could depend on what Iraola wants from the position.

If Liverpool want their centre-backs to defend aggressively against City’s movement, Araújo’s physicality is attractive.

If they prioritise familiarity, positioning and the ability to maintain the existing structure, Gomez offers another solution.

Neither is an exact substitute for Jacquet.

That is the problem.

The concern is heightened because Jacquet would not be the only significant player potentially missing.

Cody Gakpo has returned to Liverpool after picking up an ankle injury with the Netherlands and is expected to miss Sunday’s game. Alexander Isak also returned early from international duty with an injury concern, although the severity of his issue has been less clear.

The forward situation was already something Iraola would have to manage.

Now the possibility of losing Jacquet creates a different problem at the other end of the pitch.

It also explains why this week’s assessments matter so much.

Liverpool went into the international break unbeaten in all competitions, with the 1-0 victory at Bournemouth extending Iraola’s run to seven matches without defeat. Jacquet was central to that result.

The danger of the international break is not simply losing players.

It is losing continuity.

For all the concern, Liverpool should not treat Jacquet’s absence from the France squad as confirmation that he will miss City.

The French federation’s wording is important: a strain to his left hamstring. It has not announced a recovery period. Jacquet is due to return to Liverpool, where the club can assess him before deciding how serious the problem is.

That leaves the door open.

Liverpool will hope it is a short-term issue rather than a significant muscle injury, particularly given Jacquet’s previous disruption. He missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury and then had a knee problem interrupt his preparations for this campaign.

There is therefore little reason for Iraola to take an unnecessary risk.

Sunday is a major game. It is not, however, the only major game Liverpool will play this season.

Manchester City arrive at Anfield having won their opening five Premier League matches under Enzo Maresca. Liverpool are unbeaten but have drawn three of their first five league games, leaving them six points behind City at this early stage.

That makes the Jacquet decision part of a much wider tactical calculation.

Liverpool’s priority will be to establish enough control to prevent City turning the game into the sort of open contest where individual defensive absences become magnified.

Jacquet’s availability would help.

His ability to defend space, step into midfield and progress the ball has become an important part of Liverpool’s identity under Iraola. He has gone from new signing to near-automatic starter in the space of seven competitive matches.

Now Liverpool have to wait.

There is no confirmed timeframe yet. There is no reason to declare Jacquet out.

But there is enough uncertainty for Iraola to begin preparing for both possibilities.

If Jacquet recovers, Liverpool retain the partnership that has carried them through the opening weeks of the season.

If he does not, the decision over his replacement could subtly alter how Liverpool defend one of the most demanding attacks in the Premier League.

That is why this is more than an international injury update.

For Liverpool, the wait for Jérémy Jacquet has become one of the most important selection questions of the week.