Liverpool's Gomez to miss rest of season, World Cup after ankle surgery

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez will be unavailable for the Champions League final, as well as the World Cup for England, after undergoing surgery to repair an ankle injury, the Premier League club confirmed Tuesday.

The 20-year-old initially damaged the joint during the international break in March when England squared off against the Netherlands in a friendly.

He played through the pain, appearing in Liverpool’s matches against West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City last month, and allowed manager Jurgen Klopp to rotate his team as the Reds competed in multiple competitions.

However, Gomez will now be forced to watch from the sidelines when Liverpool takes on Real Madrid in the Champions League final on May 26.

Before Liverpool released a statement, Gomez broke the news to his Instagram followers:

Gutted to confirm that my season for both club and country is over having undergone successful ankle surgery…
Been a tough few weeks trying everything possible to be available on the pitch to help the team. I’m going to do all I can to get back and be in the best possible shape for pre season. The focus now is to support the team in the two biggest games of the season!
Thank you for all the support over the course of the season

Although he won’t be available when manager Gareth Southgate selects his squad ahead of England’s trip to Russia, Gomez is expected to re-join his Liverpool teammates when the Premier League outfit begins its preseason training in July.