Curtis Jones Absence Explained as Liverpool Suffer Another Pre-Season Collapse Against Monaco
Curtis Jones was a notable absentee as Liverpool suffered another frustrating defeat to Monaco in their pre-season friendly at Anfield on Sunday.
Andoni Iraola used 22 players during the match, but once again saw his side throw away a two-goal advantage. It was a repeat of last weekend’s disappointment, when Liverpool also surrendered a 2-0 lead before eventually losing 4-2 to Leeds.
Jones’ absence immediately caught attention, particularly given the recent speculation surrounding his future at Anfield.
The 25-year-old has reportedly attracted interest from Inter Milan and other clubs this summer. He was also involved in a tense-looking exchange with Dominik Szoboszlai over the captaincy during Liverpool’s pre-season victory against Wrexham in July.
Fabrizio Romano Explains Jones’ Absence
Shortly before kick-off, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano provided an explanation for Jones being left out of the squad.
Romano reported that Liverpool had confirmed the midfielder’s absence was precautionary, meaning he was not even included among the substitutes.
However, with Inter still considering Jones a priority target, his omission is likely to fuel further speculation about his future.
There is every possibility that Jones simply picked up a minor knock and was left out as a precaution. Nevertheless, his absence comes at a time when questions about a potential summer departure are already growing.
Journalist David Lynch previously suggested that an exit could not be completely ruled out, although he also indicated that Iraola could make a strong effort to convince the academy graduate to remain at his boyhood club.
Inter have reportedly already submitted several offers for the England international, but Liverpool have rejected each one. With the transfer deadline approaching, another bid from the Italian giants cannot be ruled out.
Liverpool are scheduled to play two friendlies against Como next Sunday, with Iraola expected to use separate starting XIs for the two matches.
How much involvement Jones gets in those games could provide an important clue about his position in Iraola’s plans for the new season.
For now, Liverpool supporters will hope that Jones’ omission was genuinely nothing more than a precaution — and not an early indication that their No.17 could be heading for the Anfield exit.
