Liverpool juggle Ekitike’s long‑term lay‑off while Iraola warns Barcola to sharpen his finishing
Liverpool have confirmed that French striker Hugo Ekitike, sidelined by an Achilles injury since April, remains some way off a return, while manager Andoni Iraola has warned new signing Bradley Barcola to improve his goal output ahead of the Saturday clash with Fulham at Anfield.
Recent form fuels optimism
Back‑to‑back wins over Ipswich Town in the Premier League and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League have put the Reds on a positive trajectory after successive 2‑2 draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Those results have restored confidence among the squad and supporters alike. Liverpool now appear to be ticking the right boxes as they prepare for the Fulham encounter.
Injury updates and warnings
Andoni Iraola has thrown his new signings in at the deep end, with Bradley Barcola making two appearances so far since moving from PSG in late August for £123million. The French winger has shown flashes of quality but, as former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer noted, his goal output must improve. Iraola confirmed that Hugo Ekitike is still some time away from returning to action after suffering a devastating injury in April.
A video of the French international training with a ball sparked excitement that he could be close to a return, and he was nonetheless included in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for this season. The inclusion reflects a realistic chance that he could help the side in the last two group‑stage games, according to the manager.
"I think it is difficult with these long‑term injuries. I think he is still far away. We had a meeting with the medical to analyse when we completed the squad list for the European games. There is a reasonable chance that he could help us in the last two games of the group stages, but it is still very early to say," Iraola said.
Shearer, speaking via Betfair, added: "Liverpool have got (Cody) Gakpo, they've got Barcola, they've got (Rio) Ngumoha, they’ve got (Victor) Munoz as well. The one thing he has to improve on is his goal output." He recalled Barcola’s missed chances against Atleti on Wednesday, including a one‑on‑one saved by Jan Oblak and a second‑half effort that went wide.
The Reds cap off their Champions League league phase with a trip to Inter Milan on January 19 and a home game against Lens on January 27. Those fixtures will test whether the squad can maintain its momentum without Ekitike. Iraola confirmed on Friday that Barcola remains in contention for the Fulham match.
Comments Sport Chris Burns, Senior Sports Writer, posted the story at 05:00 on 12 Sep 2026 – view 3 images. Image: 2026 Michael Miller/ISI Photos show Ekitike’s Achilles rupture and Barcola limping off with a calf cramp.