Liverpool set deadline for when Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley will be back in action

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The signing of Bradley Barcola this week has only heightened excitement amongst Liverpool supporters for the eventual return to fitness of Hugo Ekitike.Barcola admitted upon joining the Reds that his countryman had been in touch with him plenty of times over the summer, and the thought of the two Frenchmen in action is certainly an enticing one.With Ekitike having ruptured his Achilles tendon in April, however, it has been somewhat unclear when fans could expect to see him return. But after Liverpool included the 24-year-old – along with Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni – in their squad for the Champions League group stage, it is now very likely that Ekitike will be back by the end of January at the latest.

Now Bradley Barcola is through the door, would you start him vs Ipswich or is it too soon? 🤔 Bear in mind Liverpool still have Cody Gakpo, Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha as options on the left… Bradley Barcola Injured trio will return by January 27thBradley and Leoni are both hopefully set to return before Ekitike, but with Liverpool obviously being very careful with the two defenders, it may still be weeks or even months before they are seen again.Though the Reds need both on the pitch as soon as possible, it is Ekitike’s comeback which will generate the most excitement, and after some claims that the player himself has been targeting a Boxing Day return, this is more confirmation that he is on track to meet that.Liverpool’s final fixture in this year’s Champions League group stage comes on January 27th, when the Reds face Lens at Anfield.After being included in the squad, the hope now will be that Ekitike, Bradley and Leoni will be able to feature long before that new year’s match.Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Every incoming and outgoing deal Liverpool completed on transfer deadline dayThere would be little point of picking any of them if they are not, with both Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo able to contribute straight away, but having been left out of the group.So, while January 27th now looks to be the very latest Liverpool can expect to have their injured trio back available, there should now be optimism that a return between the game against Porto on December 9th and the clash with Inter on January 19th is now within reach.If they are not, you can expect that Endo and Chiesa in particular will have a few questions for Andoni Iraola to answer. Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox