Andoni Iraola's Liverpool Faces Early Tests with Key Injuries

Andoni Iraola’s first competitive game in charge of Liverpool comes with an early test of his squad’s resilience.

When Liverpool walk out against Newcastle United on Sunday to open their Premier League campaign, they will do so without a cluster of important players, some of them missing for months rather than weeks. Recruitment has been restrained, pre-season has leaned heavily on familiar faces, and the new manager already knows he will be juggling resources from day one.

Isak to shoulder the load

At the top end of the pitch, Alexander Isak is central to Iraola’s plans. The 26-year-old has started Liverpool’s last three friendlies and, on the surface, looks sharp and ready after a strong World Cup with Sweden.

There is still a watchful eye on his fitness, though. Isak endured injury frustrations during his first season at Anfield, and Iraola made it clear on Friday that the club will manage him carefully, especially with only one game roughly every week in the early part of the campaign.

“I think the same as others, an important player for us, in a very good place. Training every day, adding minutes, played a good World Cup with Sweden, fitness levels,” Iraola said. “I want to keep him there as much as we can. We know his level, he will score the goals. He will give us a lot of things. My fight with him, the instructions, is off the ball. He wants to score but I try not to judge the strikers if they have or haven't scored.”

With Hugo Ekitike out long term, Isak is set to carry much of the attacking burden for the first few months at least.

Gomez blow disrupts defensive plans

At the back, Iraola’s preparations took a hit when Joe Gomez limped out of a pre-season friendly against Sunderland just 10 minutes in last month. The defender suffered a muscle injury that has ruled him out of the opening stretch of the season.

“Joe will be some weeks off. It's a muscle injury... it is difficult to say [how long], but normally, I always put myself as one month,” Iraola explained. “It's not massive, it's a normal muscle injury, [but] I think it's going to be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far [away]. It shouldn't be a lot more.”

The tentative target is an away trip to Ipswich Town on Friday, September 4, though much will depend on how he responds in the coming weeks.

Long road back for Ekitike and Bradley

The more serious concerns sit with Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley, both facing lengthy rehabilitation periods.

Ekitike ruptured his Achilles in April, a brutal setback that will keep him out for several more months. Iraola’s update in July underlined the scale of the task ahead for the forward, who is unlikely to feature before late autumn.

“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Leoni. After will be Conor and Hugo, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out,” the Liverpool boss said.

The club are pencilling in November or December for Ekitike’s possible return. The same rough timeline applies to Bradley.

The young full-back suffered a serious knee injury earlier in 2026, even before Ekitike’s setback, and has been out for the majority of the year. His recovery is progressing, but Liverpool are refusing to rush him, conscious of the long-term implications.

Again, Iraola grouped him with Ekitike as part of the longer-term picture: “In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Leoni. After will be Conor and Hugo, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out.”

Both are aiming at a November/December comeback, a period that could reshape Liverpool’s depth just as the fixtures begin to pile up.

Leoni edging closer

Giovanni Leoni is the one ray of light on the injury front. The defender has been out for close to a full year with an ACL injury, a gruelling spell on the sidelines that has tested his patience and resolve.

He is, though, the closest of the long-term absentees to returning.

“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Leoni. After will be Conor and Hugo, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out,” Iraola confirmed.

Leoni is expected back ahead of both Bradley and Ekitike, but only after he passes the milestone of a full year out. When he does finally step back onto the pitch, it will feel like a new signing for Iraola’s defence.

A new era under strain

So Iraola’s Liverpool era begins with a threadbare feel in key areas: Gomez out for the start, Ekitike and Bradley months away, Leoni inching closer but still not ready. Isak, fit and firing, suddenly looks indispensable.

The new manager has spoken of intensity, of aggression, of a clear identity. The question now is simple: can this patched-up squad deliver that vision from the very first whistle of the season?