Giovanni Leoni's planned return to Liverpool team training has been pushed back to the next international break, Andoni Iraola says. The Guardian reports that the defender had been expected to resume group work during the recent break, but rehabilitation now requires approximately another month.
The original injury requires caution
Leoni suffered a serious knee injury against Southampton on his Liverpool debut in 2025, following a £26 million move from Parma. Iraola says discussions with the medical staff showed damage extending beyond the anterior cruciate ligament to other structures around the knee.
The coach wants the defender to regain confidence through a careful process and remain in a good condition once he rejoins the squad. He described the change as a delay rather than a fresh setback.
The revised target is the international break beginning on 9 November. That is a training projection, not confirmation of immediate match availability or a guaranteed comeback date.
Other recoveries follow separate plans
Iraola offered more encouraging updates on Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitiké. Bradley has been absent since a knee injury at Arsenal in January; Ekitiké sustained an Achilles injury against Paris Saint-Germain in April.
Bradley is approaching some work with the group, although not full training. Ekitiké remains slightly further behind, in line with the original plan.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are also doubts for the visit to Brentford after missing the previous two matches with injuries sustained on international duty. Liverpool's absent players consequently remain on individual recovery timelines rather than sharing one return date.