Hugo Ekitike's Rehabilitation Journey from Achilles Injury
Hugo Ekitike has offered a fresh glimpse into his battle back from a serious Achilles injury, as Liverpool continue to wait on the return of one of their most expensive forwards.
The 24-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon in April, a brutal end to a debut season at Anfield that had promised so much. Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt 12 months ago in a deal worth up to £79million, the France international had hit 17 goals before his campaign was cut short.
Now the long road back is in full swing.
Clairefontaine grind for Liverpool’s No 9
Ekitike has been working at the famed Centre Medical de Clairefontaine, the high-performance base used by France’s men’s and women’s national teams. The facility shared several photos of the striker going through his rehabilitation work, a sign that the next phase of his recovery is under way.
The post from Clairefontaine read: "At Clairefontaine, there is the Chateau for national team call-ups... and the Medical Centre for their rehabilitation. Thank you to our Bleus* and Bleues for their trust."
Ekitike liked the post and shared it on his Instagram story, a small but telling signal that he is stepping up preparations and wants supporters to see the progress being made behind the scenes.
The surgery on his Achilles has been described as successful, and he is now firmly in the rebuilding stage: strength, mobility, sharpness. The grind that nobody sees on a matchday.
Iraola’s blunt timeline
Andoni Iraola has never sugar-coated the situation. During pre-season, the Liverpool head coach made it clear that Ekitike, despite the optimism around his rehab, remains some distance from a competitive return.
“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Giovanni Leoni,” Iraola said back in July. “After will be Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out.”
That assessment still hangs over Liverpool’s plans. Ekitike may be back on the grass and working at elite facilities, but the club know they cannot rush an Achilles comeback. Not with an investment and a profile like his.
Injury list still biting
Ekitike is not alone in the treatment room. Liverpool are also without defender Giovanni Leoni and full-back Conor Bradley, both sidelined by serious knee injuries.
Leoni has been out since suffering an ACL injury on his debut last September, a nightmare start to his Anfield career. Bradley’s own knee problem in January halted his momentum just as he was pushing for a regular role.
Three long-term absentees. Three careers temporarily on pause.
For Ekitike, the pictures from Clairefontaine offer a rare public checkpoint on that journey. Liverpool will hope the next images of their striker come not from a medical centre in France, but from the Anfield pitch, back where his story with the club is supposed to be written.
