Report: Liverpool set for huge Hugo Ekitike injury update | OneFootball

Hugo Ekitike targets December Liverpool return as recovery plan emerges

Liverpool have fresh reason to hope Hugo Ekitike could feature before the end of the year, with a report outlining November as a target for a training return and December as a possible route back into competitive football.

For Andoni Iraola, that would be a welcome development. Ekitike’s absence has removed a significant source of goals, while new concerns over Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have brought Liverpool’s attacking resources into sharper focus.

There is, however, no confirmed comeback date. The latest update offers an encouraging target, with further progress still required before the striker can be considered for selection.

Brighton and Hove Albion v Liverpool, Premier League Hugo Ekitike Forward of Liverpool limps along the touchline following treatment during the Premier League match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Liverpool at the American Express Stadium, Brighton and Hove, UK on 21 March 2026. Brighton and Hove American Express Stadium East Sussex UK Editorial use only DataCo restrictions apply See www.football-dataco.com , Copyright: xJeffxMoodx PSI-23949-0008

Ekitike targets December Liverpool comeback

According to L’Equipe, Ekitike hopes to return to training in November before potentially playing again in December.

The France international has been sidelined since rupturing his right Achilles tendon during Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in April.

His rehabilitation has included time at Clairefontaine, the French national team’s headquarters, before he returned to Merseyside. The report also states that he travelled to the United States to consult a specialist and is now able to jog.

Those details offer a clearer picture of his progress, although they do not establish when he will be ready for the demands of a match.

For Liverpool supporters, the significant change is that a return this calendar year remains a reported possibility. It is a prospect to welcome without treating December as a deadline.

Iraola keeps January involvement in view

Iraola has already indicated that Ekitike could contribute during the opening month of 2027.

“There is a hope and there is a realistic chance that he could help us in January, yes,” the Liverpool head coach said.

That assessment explains the interest in Ekitike’s inclusion in Liverpool’s Champions League squad. The club have kept open the possibility of using him in their final two league-phase fixtures, against Inter Milan and Lens in January.

Selection for the squad provides an option rather than a promise of involvement.

Nor are the December target and Iraola’s January comments necessarily contradictory. A first appearance and the ability to contribute more regularly are different milestones. Liverpool will want Ekitike available for sustained involvement, whatever the date of his initial return.

Isak and Gakpo concerns test Liverpool depth

The update arrives during an international break that has complicated Liverpool’s preparations for their next Premier League fixture.

Isak scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on 20 September, sending the Reds into the break with a positive result.

His subsequent withdrawal from Sweden duty has raised doubts over his availability to face Manchester City at Anfield on 11 October. Gakpo also prompted concern after being forced off during the Netherlands’ 2-1 win against Serbia.

Neither situation changes Ekitike’s reported recovery schedule. They do, though, underline why Iraola would welcome another established attacking option later in the campaign.

Liverpool must address their immediate selection questions while allowing Ekitike’s return to remain a separate, longer-term consideration.

Goalscoring return could lift Liverpool’s season

Ekitike finished last season with 17 goals across all competitions, a substantial contribution following his arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt in July 2025.

His return would therefore offer more than additional cover. It would restore a forward who had already demonstrated his ability to contribute to Liverpool’s attack.

Recent footage of him kicking and juggling a ball has understandably encouraged supporters. The next meaningful development will be greater clarity over his return to training and eventual match availability.

For now, Liverpool have a hopeful outline: November for training, December as a possible competitive comeback and January already discussed publicly by Iraola.

That is progress worth recognising. Confirmation of a return date must still follow.