Liverpool are unbeaten in all competitions as they continue to click into gear under Andoni Iraola.
The Spaniard has breathed new life into the club after an underwhelming 2025-26 campaign under Arne Slot that eventually led to his dismissal.
That said, it’s not to say Iraola has been without his troubles at Anfield.
During pre-season, Virgil van Dijk was unavailable due to his commitments with the Netherlands and the likes of Giovanni Leoni, Joe Gomez and Jeremy Jacquet were all injured, so he had gaping holes in defence.
All of them, barring Leoni, are now fit and firing. And now, The Athletic have confirmed that the Italian is also close to returning to action for Liverpool.
Giovanni Leoni close to returning for Liverpool
An excerpt from the aforementioned article reads, “The hope is that he returns to full training in the week commencing October 12.”
Leoni has played just one game for Liverpool, but everyone associated with the club has high hopes for him.
His return will undoubtedly be a massive boost for Iraola as it would allow him to rotate his backline regularly.
Van Dijk and Jacquet have played every minute in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League so far, and the Italian’s presence would ensure that won’t be the case moving forward as he is more than capable of holding his own at this level.
