Liverpool injury update: Joe Gomez, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni latest news and return dates

Liverpool will hope to welcome another player back from injury this week.

The Reds were held by Fulham in a frustrating 0-0 draw at Anfield on Saturday, which saw both Cody Gakpo and Milos Kerkez come off the bench after being the subject of fitness woes during the week.

And with Tottenham coming to town in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday, another in the form of Joe Gomez is pushing to be involved.

Joe Gomez

The defender is back in training as he looks to play his first minutes of the season.

Gomez is yet to feature in a competitive game for Liverpool after suffering a muscle injury just eight minutes into Iraola’s first match in charge, a 4-2 pre-season victory over Sunderland in July.

But will now be looking for minutes against Tottenham, in the Carabao Cup, or the trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League five days later.

Potential return date: Tuesday September 15, vs Tottenham (H) or Sunday September 20, vs Bournemouth (A)

Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike has not featured for Liverpool since rupturing his Achilles during last season’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

The forward soon underwent surgery in April and missed the World Cup with France, with an initial recovery estimate of eight to nine months. That would put his potential return between December and January. He recently posting footage on social media of himself kicking a ball against a wall indoors, captioned “Warm-up.”

Iraola expects Ekitike to return later this year, but has yet to provide a specific date for his comeback. Much will depend on how he progresses through the next stages of his rehabilitation and his eventual return to full first-team training.

Potential return date: December 2026

Federico Chiesa

The Italian was again linked with a move away from Liverpool during the summer transfer window and has yet to feature this season after suffering a back injury in the final pre-season friendly against Como.

Chiesa is expected to resume training during the international break and could be back in contention shortly afterwards, provided he suffers no further setbacks.

Potential return date: Sunday October 11, vs Manchester City (H)

Conor Bradley

The right-back has not featured for Liverpool since January, when he suffered a serious knee injury late in the defeat to Arsenal that required surgery.

Bradley has spent the months since recovering and working his way back to full fitness, with Iraola expecting him to return around the same time as Ekitike.

Potential return date: November 2026

Giovanni Leoni

The young defender Leoni suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last September. The teenager subsequently underwent surgery and was expected to miss around a year, with his recovery ultimately following that projected timeline.

Iraola recently revealed that Leoni, like Chiesa, is expected to resume training with the team during the upcoming international break. However, the defender will still require time to rebuild his fitness before returning to competitive action.

“I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni,” Iraola said. “I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group.”