Liverpool head into Sunday’s Premier League clash against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium with manager Andoni Iraola monitoring several key squad members working their way back from injury. Federico Chiesa stands out as the player closest to making his return to first-team action. The Italian winger, who was linked with a move away from Merseyside during the summer transfer window, suffered a back problem during the final pre-season friendly against Como in August. Having not featured at all for the Reds this term, Chiesa is expected to resume squad training around the international break, with a potential competitive return targeted for the home fixture against Manchester City on October 11.

Defensive reinforcement could arrive even sooner for Iraola’s side. Joe Gomez is edging closer to his first competitive appearance of the season after suffering a muscle injury just eight minutes into Iraola’s first match in charge—a 4-2 pre-season victory over Sunderland in July. The defender’s recovery has progressed according to plan. Gomez is expected to return to full training prior to the international break, making him a candidate for selection either in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham on September 15 or the league trip to Bournemouth five days later.

In contrast, long-term absences continue to restrict Iraola’s options in defense. Right-back Conor Bradley hasn’t played since January, when he sustained a serious knee injury against Arsenal that required surgery. Bradley has spent the past eight months undergoing rehabilitation, prompting Liverpool to bring in Ronald Araujo on loan during the summer window to cover the position. Iraola confirmed that Bradley will return later in the autumn, with November 2026 pencilled in as his anticipated return window.

Further up the pitch, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain on extended recovery timetables. Ekitike, who ruptured his Achilles tendon back in April, has returned to light work with the ball. However, the club won’t rush his progress given the delicate nature of Achilles injuries, placing his target comeback around December 2026. Meanwhile, Italian defender Leoni is approaching a milestone after tearing his ACL on his debut against Southampton in September 2025. After missing the entire previous campaign, Leoni is scheduled to rejoin squad training during the September/October international break ahead of a full match return targeted for October 2026.

For Sunday’s 2pm BST kickoff at Bournemouth, Iraola will rely on his available core as Liverpool seek three points on the south coast. The predicted starting lineup features Alisson in goal behind a back line of Araujo, Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, and Kerkez. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are expected to anchor the midfield, with Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, and Barcola supporting striker Alexander Isak. Though Bradley, Leoni, Ekitike, and Chiesa remain ruled out for the trip, squad depth will soon receive a welcome boost as internal returns draw near.