Liverpool Injury Updates: Gomez, Chiesa, and Ekitike Returns

Liverpool finally have lift-off under Andoni Iraola. A first win on the board, a clean sheet, and Alexander Isak looking ruthless in front of goal after his brace in the 2-0 victory at Ipswich on Friday night.

Now comes the harder part: navigating a bruised squad into the start of the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid visit Anfield on Wednesday for Liverpool’s European opener, and while several of Iraola’s key men remain long-term absentees, there is at least a glimmer of good news in defence.

Joe Gomez closing in on return

Joe Gomez’s pre-season lasted barely 10 minutes. The defender limped off in Liverpool’s first friendly of the summer and has not featured since, a muscle injury halting his preparations almost before they had begun.

Initially, Iraola played down hopes of a quick comeback.

“He will be some weeks off,” the Liverpool manager said after the Sunderland game in Nashville. “It's a muscle injury and [with] muscle injuries it is difficult to say one day, but normally I always put [it] as one month.”

That timeline is now just about up.

Before the trip to Ipswich, Iraola revealed that Gomez is on the verge of rejoining full training.

“Joe will probably start training with us next week, and it has gone normally,” he said. “The recovery from a muscle injury - more or less, we were expecting the time on this. I hope we can have him before the break, let’s say.”

If all goes to plan, Gomez could be back in contention for the home clash with Fulham on September 12. For a back line already stretched, that would be a significant boost.

Chiesa and Bradley set for autumn targets

Further up the pitch, Liverpool are still waiting to see Federico Chiesa in competitive action.

The Italian forward has missed the opening three games of the season with a muscle problem, having “twanged” something in his back during a pre-season friendly against Como. Any hope of a swift return has faded; Iraola now expects to be without him until after the international break in October.

“I think even Fede should be around those dates [after the international break],” he said last week.

The working target is the home meeting with Manchester City on October 11, a fixture that already carries a heavy weight and could be the stage for Chiesa’s long-awaited introduction.

On the opposite flank of the pitch, Conor Bradley is on a slower road back. The Northern Ireland right-back has been sidelined since January after suffering an injury against Arsenal and undergoing surgery. He remains out, with Liverpool cautious over his workload and recovery.

Iraola believes Bradley may still return ahead of Hugo Ekitike and not too far behind Chiesa in the schedule, but for now the guidance is vague. The club are eyeing the back end of the year as a realistic window.

Long-haul recovery for Ekitike

Hugo Ekitike’s Liverpool career started with a bang and then stopped abruptly. His impressive debut campaign was cut short in April when he ruptured his Achilles tendon, an injury that demands patience and precision in rehabilitation.

He has not played since.

“Hugo will go [later this year],” Iraola said last week, suggesting there is optimism he can feature again before the calendar turns.

The exact date remains unclear and Liverpool will not rush a player whose game relies heavily on explosive movement. For now, his potential return is framed only as “late 2026” in club guidance, underlining the seriousness of the setback and the caution around his comeback.

Leoni steps up ACL comeback

There is another defender edging closer.

Giovanni Leoni, the Italian youngster, tore his ACL on his debut against Southampton a year ago and has not played since. His absence has stretched on through an entire season, but the tone around him has finally shifted.

“I think the plan is also to start training during the [international] break, with the group,” Iraola said before the win at Ipswich.

If he continues to progress, Liverpool hope to have Leoni available around the same time as Chiesa, with October 11 against Manchester City again marked as a potential return date.

So Iraola heads into his first Champions League night at Anfield with a squad still patched together, but at least with a clearer map of what lies ahead. The question now is simple: can Liverpool stay in the race on all fronts long enough for these returning players to tilt the season in their favour?