Curtis Jones omission explained as midfielder sits out deja-vu defeat for Liverpool

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Curtis Jones was a standout omission from the Liverpool squad which faced Monaco in a friendly at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.Andoni Iraola handed game-time to 22 players as, for the second weekend in a row, the Reds let a 2-0 lead slip to end up tasting defeat, having been beaten 4-2 from a similar position against Leeds seven days ago.The 25-year-old – who was involved in a seemingly tetchy exchange with Dominik Szoboszlai over the captaincy during the pre-season win over Wrexham in late July – has been the subject of rumoured transfer interest from Inter Milan, and his absence from the team sheet today was notable.Romano explains Curtis Jones absence v MonacoJust over an hour prior to kick-off on Sunday, Fabrizio Romano took to X with an explanation as to why Jones didn’t feature for Liverpool this afternoon.The Italian posted: ‘Curtis Jones, out of Liverpool squad today as he’s not even on the bench. #LFC informs it’s precaution for the midfielder still wanted by Inter (priority target) and more clubs this summer.’Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustSpeculation over Jones’ future may be fuelledWhile it’s plausible that the midfielder may have picked up a knock and Iraola was understandably playing it safe as a result, Jones’ absence amid the speculation over a potential exit from Liverpool could raise further questions over his future at Anfield.Speaking in July, journalist David Lynch didn’t rule out the possibility of a summer departure for the 25-year-old, but also hinted that the head coach may attempt a charm offensive to keep him at his boyhood club.Inter have already made multiple bids for the England international in this transfer window, each time without success, but it wouldn’t surprise us if they tried their luck at least once more before the 1 September deadline.With Liverpool playing two friendlies against Como next Sunday, and Iraola almost certain to field two entirely different starting XIs in those games, the extent of Jones’ involvement could tell us plenty about where he features in the Basque’s plans for the season ahead.The 44-year-old is sure to be asked about the player’s absence in the coming hours, and hopefully it’s nothing more than a precautionary exclusion today, rather than a sign of an impending exit for our number 17.