Liverpool begin their Premier League season against Newcastle United without several key players due to long-term injuries. Andoni Iraola will take charge of Liverpool competitively for the first time this Sunday, with injuries set to impact his squad decisions.
Joe Gomez out for about a month
Joe Gomez was forced off 10 minutes into Liverpool's pre-season clash with Sunderland last month. Iraola said: "Joe will be some weeks off. It's a muscle injury... it is difficult to say [how long], but normally, I always put myself as one month. It's not massive, it's a normal muscle injury, [but] I think it's going to be impossible to have him for the start of the season because we are not so far [away]. It shouldn't be a lot more."
Gomez is expected to miss the first few games, with a potential return date of Friday, September 4, when Liverpool travel to Ipswich.
Alexander Isak fit but monitored
Alexander Isak has started Liverpool's last three friendlies and appears injury-free, but there remains concern over his fitness. With only one game every seven or so days for the first few weeks of the season, he is expected to be fine.
Iraola said: "I think the same as others, an important player for us, in a very good place. Training every day, adding minutes, played a good World Cup with Sweden, fitness levels. I want to keep him there as much as we can. We know his level, he will score the goals. He will give us a lot of things. My fight with him, the instructions, is off the ball. He wants to score but I try not to judge the strikers if they have or haven't scored."
Ekitike, Bradley and Leoni return dates
Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles back in April and is expected to remain on the sidelines for the next few months. Conor Bradley picked up his major injury before Ekitike but is expected back around the same time. Giovanni Leoni is set to return before Ekitike and Bradley but looks set to pass one whole year out of action due to an ACL injury.
Iraola said: "In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is Leoni. After will be Conor and Hugo, but especially the last two are still way off. We are talking about months and still a lot of time out."
Potential return dates are November for Leoni and November/December for Ekitike and Bradley.
