Liverpool's Injured Trio Set to Return and Boost Squad Depth

Liverpool’s thin squad has been given a sliver of daylight. Three long‑term absentees are now expected to play a meaningful part in the season, offering Jürgen Klopp’s side some badly needed relief after a quiet and, in key areas, frustrating transfer window.

A squad stretched – and then some

Liverpool’s business is done, the window shut, and the gaps are obvious. There is no new right-sided winger. No fresh legs in midfield. No additional right-back. For a club chasing major honours, the margins look uncomfortably tight.

There was a late push to change that. Liverpool explored a loan for Chelsea’s Malo Gusto, a player capable of covering both right-back and central areas. Chelsea, though, were in no mood to deal on the cheap, and the door closed.

So Liverpool turn inwards. If reinforcements aren’t arriving from outside, they will have to come from the treatment room.

Three long-term injuries, one shared hope

According to The Times, the club expect Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley to play a “chunk” of the campaign. Given where all three are coming from, that word carries weight.

None of them has kicked a ball in anger for months. Ekitike, the most recent casualty of the trio, has been sidelined since April. Bradley has been missing since the very start of the year. Leoni’s absence stretches back to last September, almost a full year out.

These are not minor setbacks. Timelines have been vague, updates sporadic, and there is still uncertainty over what level they can realistically hit on their return. The first step is simply getting them back on the grass. Match sharpness will lag behind that, perhaps by weeks, perhaps by longer.

Which is why the suggestion that each could still contribute a significant portion of the season feels so important. It hints at more than a token cameo here or there. It points to a spell of games, a stretch where they can genuinely ease the load.

Different paths back

Leoni appears closest. The expectation is that he will soon be back in contention, though Liverpool will not rush him. After nearly a year out, the temptation to lean on him too heavily too quickly must be resisted.

Ekitike’s road looks a little longer. His return is likely to edge closer to Christmas, yet the belief remains that he will still have a role to play before the season is out. For a forward line that missed out on that extra right-sided option, his re-emergence could matter.

Bradley is the great unknown. Information on his status has been scarce, and there is still no clear public picture of the full extent of his injury or a firm recovery date. The club’s late attempt to bring in a right-back hardly screamed confidence about his short-term availability.

And yet, The Times’ indication that he, too, could feature for a chunk of the season changes the mood. It suggests that, behind the scenes, there is at least guarded optimism.

For a squad that has been forced to “make do” rather than remodel, that kind of news is not just welcome. It may prove decisive.