Andoni Iraola has provided an injury update on Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League clash against Brentford on Saturday.
Bradley has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury during January’s goalless draw against Arsenal. However, the Northern Ireland international is back in the gym at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre in Kirkby and is nearing a return to light training.
Meanwhile, Ekitike has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles sustained against Paris Saint-Germain in April. The forward has spent time in the United States working with his personal physiotherapist alongside Liverpool’s medical team.
Liverpool have largely relied on summer signing Ronald Araujo at right-back during Bradley’s absence, although Jeremie Frimpong started in Wednesday’s 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK.
Speaking on Thursday, Iraola confirmed that Bradley was close to returning to training. Ekitike was also at the club’s training base, performing skipping exercises in the gym as he continues strengthening his Achilles.
However, Iraola remains reluctant to set a return date for either player, despite both being included in Liverpool’s 23-man Champions League squad for the league phase, which concludes in January.
“They are both doing very well,” Iraola said. “I think they are in a good place. Conor is not so far from training with the group – not like full training but doing some things with the group. Hugo is a little bit behind that but that was always the plan. He is still doing very well according to the plan.”
He added: “It’s difficult (to put a timescale on them both). When they have been injured for so long it’s difficult to say but I think Conor is not very far from starting doing things with us.”
Bradley and Ekitike could target Liverpool’s Champions League fixtures against Inter Milan on January 19 and Lens on January 27 for a return, although the Northern Ireland international could be back in action sooner.
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