Hugo Ekitike is expected to be sidelined for a few more months, but his latest injury update shows promising signs as his confidence in his Achilles continues to grow.
Ekitike ruptured his right Achilles in mid-April, and the striker has undergone surgery and extensive rehab to build back his strength, flexibility and lastly, explosive power.
The comeback can stretch from nine months to a year, though Ekitike is reportedly targeting a return to training in autumn with a view to playing from December 26.
It remains to be seen if he will be cleared to play after eight-and-a-half months, but his regular updates on social media show continued progress in his recovery.
His latest update on Snapchat has the striker in his Liverpool training gear doing keepie uppies against a wall with both feet.
Hugo Ekitike today. Hugely encouraging, Achilles seems to have taken well to the surgery and his confidence in weight placement seems second nature. Big bursts will still have to be slowly reintroduced, but this is good. pic.twitter.com/k0nQdSLLwU
— Danny Gallagher (@Danny7Gallagher) September 8, 2026
While he isn’t completely fluid in his movement just yet, expected for someone who was still using crutches in July, the clips shows the confidence in his body to withstand the movement and his full body weight.
At this point in his recovery, Ekitike’s tendon is expected to be healed, with the focus now on restoring muscle in his right calf and preparing the injury site for force and rapid movement.
It is a well-considered progression to handle the high-intensity and quick movement that football entails, and this will slowly build up in the coming weeks before more demands are asked of his body.
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The positives, as it appears, are that Ekitike is showing confidence in his body to perform as he expects, though he will know he cannot push too hard too soon.
That the Frenchman has been named in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for the first phase of the competition, which runs until the end of January, shows the club is also optimistic about his return chances later in the year.
For now, his rehabilitation continues alongside Conor Bradley, who has also been included in the Reds’ European squad as his comeback from a serious knee injury continues.
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KIRKBY, ENGLAND - Tuesday, September 8, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during a training session at Anfield ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Liverpool FC and Atlético Madrid. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)