Liverpool's Bradley Nears Return, Ekitike Recovery Continues

Liverpool full back Conor Bradley is nearing a return to training after a 10-month absence due to injury. Manager Andoni Iraola provided an update on Bradley and teammate Hugo Ekitike, stating both players are progressing well in their recoveries.

"Conor is not so far from training with the group – not like full training but doing some things with the group," Iraola said. "It's difficult (to put a timescale on them both). When they have been injured for so long it's difficult to say but I think Conor is not very far from starting doing things with us."

Ekitike is reported to be slightly behind Bradley in his recovery but is also following his planned rehabilitation. "Hugo is a little bit behind that but that was always the plan. He is still doing very well according to the plan," Iraola added.

Meanwhile, young defender Giovanni Leoni has experienced a delay in his own recovery from a 13-month layoff. "It is taking more time than we wanted," Iraola explained. "With Gio, the planning was to train with the team in this past international break. It is probably now going to be the next international break, so we have lost one month in the process."

Iraola elaborated that Leoni's injury involved multiple aspects of the knee beyond just the ACL, necessitating a careful rehabilitation process. The current plan is for Leoni to begin training with the team after the next international break.

Additionally, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, and Alexander Isak remain uncertain for the upcoming match against Brentford, having missed the previous two games. Iraola has not ruled them out, indicating they still have a chance to prove their fitness.