Andoni Iraola provides Hugo Ekitike injury update

Andoni Iraola provides Hugo Ekitike injury update Andoni Iraola Offers Hugo Ekitike Return Boost as Liverpool Assess Bradley Barcola and Cody Gakpo Liverpool may yet see Hugo Ekitike back before the Champions League league phase is over. That is the clearest takeaway from Andoni Iraola’s latest fitness update, and it matters because the options up front are thin. Ekitike has been out since April after rupturing his Achilles tendon. Since then, Liverpool have had to rely heavily on Alexander Isak as the only senior central striker available. For a side trying to settle under a new head coach while competing on multiple fronts, that is a problem in plain sight. Iraola did not overplay the situation, but he left the door open. “There is a chance he could help us with the last two games of the [Champions League] group stage, but it is still very early to say,” he said. That is cautious, sensible, and about as much as anyone should expect at this stage of an Achilles recovery. Photo: IMAGO Hugo Ekitike Return Could Ease Liverpool Striker Load Before the injury, Ekitike had made a sharp start to life at Anfield. Seventeen goals and six assists in 45 appearances is serious output, particularly for a forward still finding his place. Liverpool have missed that depth and mobility. Isak delivered again in the 2-0 win at Ipswich Town last week, scoring both goals in Liverpool’s first league victory under Iraola. That solved the result. It did not solve the workload issue. Bradley Barcola Fitness Update Calms Liverpool Fears There was also concern over Bradley Barcola after the £123million signing was taken off around the hour mark in the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid. The noise around that was predictable. Iraola shut it down quickly. “Barcola was just cramp,” he said. “We have to evaluate how he is today, but there is no injury. I think he should be available if everything goes normal.” Liverpool will take that without argument. Barcola has only just arrived, and they need his pace and threat available, not managed through an early setback. Cody Gakpo Remains Doubt for Fulham Clash The less encouraging update concerned Cody Gakpo, who missed the Atletico game with a hip adductor issue and remains uncertain for Fulham. Iraola said, “Cody, we will see. We will try today and see if he is ready for tomorrow or if we need to wait until the next one.” So the situation is simple. Barcola should be fine, Gakpo is touch and go, and Ekitike has a plausible route back before the end of the year. For Liverpool, that is better than nothing, but they still need bodies back quickly.