‘There Is a Hope’—Andoni Iraola Reveals New Hugo Ekitike Injury Return Date
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has revealed the club are hopeful to see striker Hugo Ekitiké back in action by the end of January 2027.
Ekitiké was enjoying a dazzling debut campaign with Liverpool when he was struck down by a serious Achilles injury in April, with his recovery expected to drag well into next year. The Frenchman’s first year ended with 17 goals and six assists in 45 appearances.
With that in mind, it came as a significant surprise to see Ekitiké included in Liverpool’s Champions League roster for the league phase—particularly as both Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endō were left out in his place—but Iraola insisted there was logic behind the decision.
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“I think it’s difficult with these long-term injuries, I think he’s still far [away],” Iraola revealed.
“But we had a meeting with the medical department to analyze 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’s still very early to say. It’s very early because it’s a long-term injury [and] a big part of the rehab [he] is still to meet. But if we decide to put him there, it is because there is a hope and there is a realistic chance that he could help us in January.”
The Challenge Facing Iraola When Ekitiké Returns
The same debate has raged for over 12 months now. Liverpool had already signed Ekitiké in a package worth $106 million (£79 million) when they made Alexander Isak the most expensive player in Premier League history.
Figuring out how to make both players work together was the challenge set to former boss Arne Slot, but that conundrum was taken out of his hands by Isak’s initial fitness struggles and subsequent leg break. The pair played just 186 minutes together across eight appearances.
When Ekitiké returns, he will undoubtedly be eased back into action as Isak’s deputy, but once he has rediscovered his fitness, the 24-year-old is unlikely to be particularly satisfied with a reserve role.
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Slot suggested Ekitiké could line up as a winger alongside Isak. The Frenchman made one appearance on the right side of Liverpool’s attack last season.
Whether Iraola shares the same opinion will be revealed with time, although the acquisitions of left winger Bradley Barcola and right winger Víctor Muñoz means there is not much of a need for extra legs out wide.
Slot managed to avoid having to come up with an answer to this expensive conundrum, but Iraola could be just a few months away from needing his own solution.
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