Liverpool-bound Jeremy Jacquet to undergo surgery but expected to be fit for pre-season

Liverpool-bound defender Jeremy Jacquet is set to undergo shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the season for Rennes.

Provided the operation goes to plan, however, Liverpool expect Jacquet to be available for the start of pre-season in early July.

Jacquet was injured in Rennes’ match against Lens on February 7 and, following a series of medical tests, will have surgery in the next few days, the French club has confirmed.

Liverpool medical staff are in contact with their counterparts at Rennes and, while the exact timeline of Jacquet’s recovery depends on a number of factors, including the success of the surgery, it typically takes around eight to 12 weeks to recover from shoulder injuries.

Jacquet, 20, will join Liverpool officially on July 1 after the Premier League champions agreed a deal worth worth £55million plus £5m in add-ons with Rennes in January.

The France youth international has signed a contract at Anfield until 2031 with the option of a further year, and is part of the club’s succession planning for their 34-year-old captain Virgil van Dijk.

“We are not stupid,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said last month, when asked about the signing of Jacquet.

“We know somewhere in the upcoming years there will be life for this club without Virgil. I could say the same for every position. This club isn’t just thinking about the short term but also the mid to long-term future with the decisions we make.”

Jacquet came through the youth ranks of Rennes and has featured for France up to under-21 level at international level.

Before his injury, he had started every Ligue 1 game when available, making 19 top flight appearances for his boyhood club.