Gomez Nears Return as Liverpool’s Injury Picture Slowly Clears
Liverpool’s threadbare treatment room has become as central to their season as anything happening on the pitch, and Saturday’s goalless stalemate with Fulham was a reminder of exactly why. Andoni Iraola turned to his bench for fitness reasons as much as tactical ones, with Cody Gakpo and Milos Kerkez both named among the substitutes rather than risked from the off. Ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round visit from Tottenham, though, there is a genuinely encouraging thread running through the club’s fitness news: Joe Gomez is back out on the training pitch.
That single development matters more than it might first appear. A squad stretched by absentees needs depth it can trust, and a returning defender with Gomez’s versatility offers exactly that. Here is where each of Liverpool’s absent players currently stands.
Gomez Closing In on His Season Debut
Gomez has not featured competitively all season. His injury struck early and cruelly, a muscle problem picked up just eight minutes into Iraola’s very first match in the Liverpool dugout, the pre-season win over Sunderland back in July. Two months on, he is finally back in full training. Nobody at the club is promising he will start against Spurs, but he is firmly part of the selection conversation now, whether that comes in the cup tie itself or five days later away at Bournemouth. For a club short of ready-made options across the back line, having Gomez fit again removes at least one persistent worry.
Ekitike and Bradley Remain Longer-Term Projects
The news is more sobering for Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley, both of whom are still working toward return dates rather than closing in on one. Ekitike ruptured his Achilles in April during the Champions League quarter final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, an injury that always carried an eight to nine month recovery estimate. He has begun light ball work indoors, which is a step worth noting even if it changes nothing about the timeline. December remains the target, and Liverpool would be wise not to rush a forward back from an Achilles injury regardless of how badly they miss his output.
Bradley’s absence has been just as frustrating. The full back has not played since suffering a serious knee injury against Arsenal in January, an issue that required surgery and has kept him out for the best part of a year. November 2026 is the working estimate for his return, and given the caution surrounding knee injuries of that severity, Liverpool are unlikely to deviate from it.
Chiesa and Leoni Edge Closer to Contention
Federico Chiesa’s summer was dominated by transfer speculation, and his season has instead been dominated by a back injury sustained in the final pre-season friendly against Como. He is expected to resume full training over the international break, and if that process goes smoothly, Sunday October 11 against Manchester City at Anfield looks like a realistic reappearance point.
Giovanni Leoni’s timeline sits just behind Chiesa’s. The young defender tore his anterior cruciate ligament on his Liverpool debut against Southampton in last season’s Carabao Cup, an injury that always pointed toward a year on the sidelines. Iraola confirmed recently that Leoni is also due to begin training with the group over the international break, with late October pencilled in as his likely return window.
Our Take: Small Gains Matter Right Now
None of this transforms Liverpool’s immediate situation. Ekitike and Bradley are still months away, and Chiesa and Leoni still need to get through a full training block before anyone can be confident in their readiness. But Gomez’s return is exactly the kind of incremental boost this squad has needed, a senior, versatile defender walking back into contention at a moment when Iraola has precious few alternatives to turn to. Cup football against Tottenham on Tuesday will not be won or lost on injury news alone, but every fit body helps, and Liverpool will take whatever margin they can get.