Liverpool coach Iraola optimistic about Ekitike’s return for UCL group stage

Hugo Ekitike hasn’t kicked a ball in competitive football since April, when a ruptured Achilles tendon ended his season. Now, his manager Andoni Iraola is offering the first real glimmer of hope that the French striker could return to action for the final stretch of the Champions League group stage in January 2027. Iraola, speaking on September 11, acknowledged that Ekitike is “still far” from a comeback but said there’s a “reasonable chance” the forward could feature in the club’s last two UCL group-stage fixtures. The injury and what it cost him Ekitike went down on April 14, 2026, during a Champions League quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain, a 2-0 loss. A ruptured Achilles tendon is the kind of diagnosis that makes physios wince. Surgery followed shortly after, and by all accounts it went well. Ekitike’s absence meant he also missed France’s 2026 World Cup squad. Before the injury, Ekitike had been one of the standout performers of his debut campaign. In 28 Premier League appearances during the 2025-26 season, he registered 11 goals and 4 assists. Why the UCL squad inclusion matters Perhaps the most telling signal of optimism came not from Iraola’s words but from a decisio...