Hugo Ekitike's Recovery Journey: What Liverpool Misses Up Front

Hugo Ekitike has offered a glimpse into his long road back from a ruptured Achilles – and a reminder of what Liverpool are still missing up front.

The 24-year-old striker, who saw a promising first season at Anfield cut short in April, is continuing his rehabilitation at the renowned Centre Médical de Clairefontaine, the base used by France’s national teams. The facility shared several images of Ekitike working through his recovery programme, with the Liverpool forward reposting them on his Instagram story and liking the update.

The post from Clairefontaine read: “At Clairefontaine, there is the Chateau for national team call-ups... and the Medical Centre for their rehabilitation. Thank you to our Bleus* and Bleues for their trust.”

For Liverpool, the pictures are a reassuring sight, but the reality remains stark: Ekitike is still months away from a competitive return.

Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt 12 months ago in a deal worth up to £79million, the Frenchman made an instant impression on Merseyside. He hit 17 goals before his debut campaign was abruptly halted by the serious tendon injury, suffered in April, that required surgery and a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The operation was successful and his workload has gradually increased since, yet Liverpool have always known this would be a long-haul recovery rather than a quick fix.

New head coach Andoni Iraola underlined that point during pre-season when asked about his injured players. The Spaniard explained that Giovanni Leoni is expected to be the first of the long-term absentees to return, with Conor Bradley and Ekitike following further down the line.

“In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is [Giovanni] Leoni. After will be Conor [Bradley] and Hugo [Ekitike], but especially the last two are still way off,” Iraola said in July. “We are talking about months and still a lot of time out.”

Ekitike is not alone in Liverpool’s treatment room. Leoni has been sidelined since tearing his ACL on his debut last September, while Bradley has been out since suffering a knee injury in January. Three young players, three long-term injuries, and three rehabilitation timelines that will shape the depth of Iraola’s squad as the season wears on.

For now, Ekitike’s battle is measured in steady strides at Clairefontaine rather than sprints in front of the Kop. The next time he pulls on a Liverpool shirt, the expectation will be heavy. The question is not whether he can rediscover the form that brought 17 goals, but how quickly he can ignite it again once that Achilles finally lets him loose.