Liverpool's Injury Woes Ahead of Newcastle Clash
Andoni Iraola will head to St James’ Park still counting bodies rather than options.
Liverpool open their Premier League campaign away to Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, but the new head coach is yet to learn exactly who will be available for his first competitive game in charge. The team sheet is already missing several familiar names, and more could yet drop out.
Long-term absentees stack up
Four senior players are ruled out.
- Hugo Ekitike is facing a race to play again before the end of the calendar year after suffering a serious Achilles injury in early April.
- Conor Bradley remains sidelined as he works back from major knee damage sustained at Arsenal in January, a blow that has already written off most of his 2024.
- At centre-back, Giovanni Leoni is finally edging closer to a return to full training. He has been out since last September with an ACL injury, and while his rehabilitation is progressing, this weekend comes too soon.
- Joe Gomez is also unavailable. The defender picked up a muscle problem in the opening pre-season friendly against Sunderland and has yet to shake it off, leaving Iraola without another experienced option at the back.
Fresh worries cloud Iraola’s debut
The definite absentees are only part of the story.
Curtis Jones, who has attracted transfer interest from Inter, has missed the last two weekends with a hip issue. His involvement at Newcastle hangs in the balance and Liverpool will be wary of taking risks so early in the season.
There is also concern over goalkeeper Freddie Woodman. He sat out both friendlies against Como on Sunday after nursing an injury throughout pre-season, raising questions over who will start between the posts if he fails to prove his fitness.
Youth prospects are not spared either. Striker Jayden Danns and midfielder Stefan Bajcetic are both sidelined with muscle problems, denying Iraola two more potential options from the bench.
Newcastle’s own problems
Newcastle have hardly enjoyed a smooth build-up themselves.
Joelinton has been ruled out for several weeks with an undisclosed issue, robbing Eddie Howe of a powerful presence in midfield just as the season kicks off. At the back, doubts linger over Valentino Livramento and Fabian Schar, both rated uncertain for Liverpool’s visit.
So the new campaign begins with both clubs patched up and juggling absences. For Iraola, still shaping his ideas and identity, the opening whistle on Tyneside may already feel like a test of depth as much as a test of tactics.
