Andoni Iraola confirms ‘difficult situation’ after five major Liverpool injury blows

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rush The Kop or go back to LFC Live.

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. 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. 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.

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.