---
title: "Joe Gomez Return Gives Andoni Iraola Timely Carabao Cup Boost as Hugo Ekitike Recovery Continues"
canonical: "https://readliverpoolfc.com/news/joe-gomez-hugo-ekitike-liverpool-injury-update/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Jonny Black"
section: "Liverpool Injury News"
published: "2026-09-14T07:12:44Z"
modified: "2026-10-02T02:19:26Z"
---

# Joe Gomez Return Gives Andoni Iraola Timely Carabao Cup Boost as Hugo Ekitike Recovery Continues

Liverpool’s injury picture is looking brighter heading into the Carabao Cup. This [Joe Gomez](https://readliverpoolfc.com/squad/joe-gomez/) Liverpool injury update confirms the defender returned to full training on 17 September 2026, giving Arne Slot a fresh option before the trip to face Tottenham Hotspur.

The news follows a goalless draw with Fulham at Anfield, a game Liverpool went into still managing a thin squad at the back. Gomez’s return adds depth just as the cup schedule picks up pace.

Elsewhere, [Hugo Ekitike](https://readliverpoolfc.com/squad/hugo-ekitike/) and [Giovanni Leoni](https://readliverpoolfc.com/squad/giovanni-leoni/) both continue to work their way back from longer-term issues, and there is fresh detail on each below.

## Pre-season muscle injury delayed Gomez’s start to the campaign

Gomez picked up a muscle injury during a pre-season friendly in July. It ruled him out of Liverpool’s opening fixtures and left Slot without one of his more experienced defensive options at the start of the season.

The timing was frustrating. Pre-season is when players build match fitness, and losing weeks of training and games set Gomez’s own preparation back by some margin. His return to full training this month marks the end of that recovery process.

## Is Joe Gomez available for the Tottenham Hotspur Carabao Cup match?

Yes. Gomez is back in full training and available for selection as Liverpool prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup. Whether he starts is Slot’s call, and nothing in this Joe Gomez Liverpool injury update should be read as confirmation of his place in the XI.

Having him fit and training with the group gives the manager a genuine choice at centre back or full back, options that matter with games coming thick and fast and [discussions on squad rotation](https://readliverpoolfc.com/articles/wilder-reveals-why-refreshing-klopp-is-different-from-his-peers/) already a regular feature of press conferences this season.

## Ekitike and Leoni progress as international break approaches

Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles tendon in April and remains on course for a return somewhere between December and January. He shared a short clip of indoor training on social media this week, captioned simply, “Warm-up.”

It is a small sign of progress rather than a timeline update, but it will encourage supporters who have watched his recovery closely all year, especially with the club weighing up [plans to refresh the squad](https://readliverpoolfc.com/news/liverpool-declan-rice-transfer-rumours-summer-move/) in areas further forward.

Giovanni Leoni, who is recovering from an ACL tear, is further behind in his rehabilitation. Speaking to The Standard, manager Andoni Iraola set out the expected order of returns among the club’s injured players: “I think the next one probably should be Giovanni Leoni.”

Iraola also gave a clearer sense of Leoni’s next step. “I think the plan is also to start training during the break, with the group,” he told The Standard, pointing to the upcoming international break as the moment Leoni rejoins full training with his teammates.

For a fuller account of how these injuries first arose, supporters can revisit the [original injury update report](https://readliverpoolfc.com/news/joe-gomez-hugo-ekitike-liverpool-injury-update/).