Injuries are taking their toll on Liverpool at the moment, but the Reds may soon have their long-term absentees back in action, including one who has been described as a "complete player"

Injuries are making Andoni Iraola’s life a lot harder right now - but the Liverpool boss could soon be about to get his hands on a “complete player” for the first time.

While things have been relatively steady on the pitch under their new head coach, with just the one defeat so far this season, the Reds are starting to feel the effects of their hectic schedule.

Victor Munoz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong were all missing from training on Thursday, while Bradley Barcola took part in a separate recovery session away from the rest of his teammates, with Iraola’s options starting to look thinner on the ground.

Add to that the injury scares Jeremy Jacquet, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo all suffered during the international break, and long-term absentees Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, and the Liverpool boss has a difficult juggling act as he tries to get his players through an unrelenting calendar.

The injury situation is expected to improve soon though. If all goes to plan, then Leoni, Bradley and Ekitike should be able to return to training next month, giving Iraola his first real chance to work closely with the trio.

Ekitike’s return in particular will be a source of excitement for many. The 24-year-old was undoubtedly the pick of the new signings last season, and just about offered Szoboszlai the only real competition for the club’s player of the year award.

His Achilles injury against Paris Saint-Germain was a cruel blow, not least because it ended his World Cup dream. With reports indicating that he is on course to make his return to action before the end of the year though, Iraola may soon see why everyone in France and on the Red half of Merseyside is so excited.

"Hugo Ekitike was improving enormously since he arrived at Liverpool from Germany, where he was dominating the league,” former Liverpool striker and French international Djibril Cisse told Mr Gamble.

“He arrived and immediately won over the fans by scoring, being generous, being good, being decisive and showing his love for the club. When you lose a player like that, it’s tough. It’s even tough for the players replacing him, because Alexander Isak wasn’t available either, so everyone who came in wasn’t as effective as Hugo.

"Even with the French national team, where we have Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, people were talking about the gap Hugo had left. That shows how important he is.”

Cisse knows better than most the challenges facing Ekitike as he makes his return from such a serious injury. Having suffered two leg breaks, his playing career was altered dramatically, but he is confident Ekitike will be able to rediscover the form that made him an immediate favorite at Anfield.

"I want him to come back to his level very quickly,” Cisse said. “I know these injuries well. I had more or less the same thing. You recover well, it’s really mental, but once you’re back, you’re off.

"Hugo will recover quickly and find his level, because mentally he’s programmed to perform and never gives up. I’m really excited for him because he deserves to come back at the same level, or even higher.

Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kit

Liverpool FC have launched their new home kit for the 2026/27, inspired by iconic adidas strip worn during the club's 1989/90 title-winning campaign.

"What he brings is variety. He’s very good in the air, so you can play long to him. He’s technically very good for his size, it’s actually so impressive, so you can play into his feet knowing he’ll keep the ball. He’s very quick, so you can play on the transition with him. And in front of goal, when he gets two or three chances, one goes in, sometimes two.

"He’s a complete player who is also generous defensively and isn’t afraid to help out, which is essential for strikers in modern football. He’s a modern player who brings freshness with his haircuts, his style, his personality.

“It’s a complete package that people love and, above all, he’s effective. The aesthetics don’t matter. What matters is that he scores goals, and he knows how to do that."