Liverpool injury update: Joe Gomez, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa latest news and return dates | OneFootball

Reds still hampered by long-term absentees

Liverpool hope to welcome back at least one player from injury this week.

While a number of players remain sidelined for the longer-term, most notably Hugo Ekitike, there is promising signs that Joe Gomez could feature this weekend against Ipswich.

Elsewhere, Federico Chiesa is nursing a muscle injury, but not expected to be too far behind the defender.

Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez limping out of the Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly, but is nearing a return.

Gomez lasted just 10 minutes against Sunderland in Nashville, Tennessee, and was subsequently ruled out for a number of week by Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola.

“He will be some weeks off. 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,” Iraola said.

“If it goes very good the injury is a little bit less, if [not] it goes a little more. It's not massive, it's a normal muscle injury, [but] I think it's going to be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far [away]. It shouldn't be a lot more.”

The latest setback is another frustrating blow for Gomez, who has endured a number of injury problems during his time at Liverpool.

Potential return date: September 4 vs Ipswich (A)

Federico Chiesa

Federico Chiesa is hoping to soon return from a muscle injury, having missed Liverpool’s opening two games of the season.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest, Iraola issued an update on the Italian.

“Fede is not available,” said Iraola. “In the [pre-season] game against Como he felt something at the back and it’s a small muscle injury. He is not available.”

Hugo Ekitike

Hugo Ekitike made an impressive start to life on Merseyside, scoring 11 goals in 28 Premier League appearances and adding three more in the Champions League.

However, his promising campaign was cut short in April when he suffered a ruptured Achilles. The injury has kept him out of action ever since.

When discussing Liverpool’s long-term absentees, Iraola indicated that Ekitike was the furthest away from returning.

The Liverpool boss suggested supporters will have to wait “months” before the forward is ready to return to first-team action.

Potential return date: Late 2026

Right-back Conor Bradley has been sidelined since January after suffering a serious knee injury against Arsenal.

The setback brought his season to an early end and required surgery, with the Northern Ireland international still some way from a return to competitive action.

Liverpool have strengthened their options at right-back, with Jeremie Frimpong, Calvin Ramsay and Ronald Araujo all competing for minutes in the position as Bradley continues his rehabilitation.

Potential return date: Late 2026

Giovanni Leoni

Giovanni Leoni endured a nightmare start to life in England last season after suffering an ACL injury during Liverpool’s Carabao Cup match against Southampton almost a year ago.

The serious knee injury ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign, but Iraola says the 21-year-old is now edging closer to a return.

“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Leoni,” the Liverpool boss said in late July.

“After that it will be Conor and Hugo. But especially the last two are still way off, we are talking about months and still a lot of time out.”

Leoni has therefore emerged as the most likely of Liverpool’s long-term absentees to return to first-team action first.