Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has admitted the "worst news" he received upon taking charge was the extent of the club's injury problems, with several first-team players set to miss the start of the new 2026/27 campaign.
You may had thought it was leaving the south coast behind or the departure of the sporting directors who helped bring him to Anfield. Instead, it was inheriting the injury crisis that played a major role in derailing the Reds campaign last season under former head coach Arne Slot.
The Reds remain without long-term absentees Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni, all of whom are continuing their rehabilitation programmes. No definitive return dates have been set, although a Christmas return seems likely.
Iraola, who arrived from AFC Bournemouth this summer, has also confirmed that several other players have yet to return to full training.
The Reds are set to step up their pre-season preparations on Monday when they fly to Chicago for a two-week, three-match tour of the United States, but the Spaniard is still waiting on a number of key players to rejoin the squad.
"Probably the worst news when we arrived is that we have, I would say, five players injured. "Andoni Iraola
After referencing the long-term absentees, the manager from the Basque region of Spain confirmed that a number of players that could do a job in pre-season and the future are also injured.
"Even [Jayden] Danns, who couldn't start with us because he got injured with the U21s. Then we have Stefan [Bajcetic] that is doing slowly, slowly better but is still not ready to train with us and waiting also for Wataru [Endo]."
Those injuries, combined with the delayed return of World Cup players to pre-season, could leave Iraola short on numbers during a crucial period. The Spaniard will want valuable time on the training pitch to implement his style, establish his identity at the Melwood Training Centre, and translate those ideas into performances on the pitch.
Short on numbers
The likes of Dominik Szoboszlai who is edging closer to extending his future at the club, Joe Gomez, Milos Kerkez, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are among the first-team players who have returned to training and are expected to be part of the 25-man squad travelling to Chicago.
Their early involvement will be important as Iraola looks to build momentum and implement his ideas ahead of the new campaign.
With several senior players still unavailable, Liverpool have turned to their academy ranks to bolster numbers. A further 12 youth players were called up for the second day of pre-season training, giving the next generation of Reds an opportunity to impress while helping the squad prepare for the upcoming tour.
With eight stars from the World Cup returning before the season begins, the chances of Iraola having a full-strength and fully fit squad available for the opening weeks remain slim.
The delayed arrivals, combined with the existing injury problems, will limit the time the new manager has to work with his complete group before Liverpool’s competitive fixtures begin.
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