The latest on the injury front for Liverpool, with Andoni Iraola having given updates on Joe Gomez and four other players ahead of the Reds' trip to Ipswich in the Premier League
Liverpool's Joe Gomez is injured during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC
Joe Gomez is an injury concern for Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images))
Andoni Iraola has confirmed he expects Joe Gomez to return to training next week, while two more injury boosts could be on the way later this month.
Gomez has missed the start of the new season after picking up a knock in Liverpool’s opening pre-season game of the summer in July. The defender was forced off just 10 minutes into the 4-2 win over Sunderland during the tour of the United States, and has not been able to play a part in Iraola’s side since.
His absence, along with concerns over the fitness of Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, led to the Reds signing Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona, with the 27-year-old having been called from the bench in Liverpool’s opening two games of the Premier League season.
Having missed the draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, Gomez is once again expected to be absent for Friday’s trip to Ipswich. Speaking ahead of the game though, Iraola revealed that the England international is closing in on a return.
“The closest one is Joe,” Iraola told a press conference on Thursday. “He will probably start training with us next week. I hope we can have him before the [international] break.”
Iraola is also expecting Leoni and Federico Chiesa to follow closely behind Gomez, with the pair being targeted to return to training during the upcoming international break, which begins at the end of this month.
Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool during a training session at Endeavor Health Performance Center
Giovanni Leoni is expected to return to training with Liverpool during the international break(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)
Leoni has been absent since rupturing his ACL on his debut for Liverpool against Southampton 12 months ago. There had been suggestions that he would play a part in pre-season earlier in the summer, although he is yet to join in with the rest of his teammates in training.
Chiesa, meanwhile, picked up a knock during the behind-closed-doors friendly against Italian side Como last month, and has also missed the Reds’ opening two games as a result.
“I think the next one should probably be Giovanni Leoni, I think the plan is to start training in the break with the group,” Iraola revealed. “I think Fede should be around those days.”
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The Liverpool boss faces a much longer wait for Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike to return though, having confirmed the pair’s comebacks will be “later”.
Bradley has been absent since picking up a serious knee injury at Arsenal back in January, with the right-back forced to undergo surgery on the issue. Despite initial hopes that he could have played a part in the World Cup had Northern Ireland qualified, he is now not expected to be back until November at the earliest.
Ekitike, meanwhile, has been out since April after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The striker is thought to be targeting a return during the festive period, with Liverpool set to face Hull City on Boxing Day (December 26).