As Andoni Iraola prepares for Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur, we have welcome news on the injury front.
Joe Gomez is back in training as he looks to play his first minutes of the season after suffering a muscle injury just eight minutes into the pre-season friendly with Sunderland in USA in July.
The 29-year-old defender will now be hoping to be called up for the matchday squad for the Spurs game at Anfield, although Iraola may not risk him and instead opt for the trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Iraola expects Hugo 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.
Giovanni Leoni suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during his Liverpool debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup last September. He subsequently underwent surgery and was expected to miss around a year.
Iraola has revealed that the 19-year-old Italian centre-back is expected to resume training with the team during the upcoming international break, but 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.”
Meanwhile, Federico Chiesa is also expected to resume training during the international break and could be back in contention shortly afterwards, provided he suffers no further setbacks.
