Hugo Ekitike's Journey Back from Achilles Injury

Hugo Ekitike has offered a fresh glimpse into his long road back from a serious Achilles injury, as Liverpool continue to count down the months until their £79million striker can lead the line again.

The France international ruptured his Achilles tendon in April, a brutal end to a debut season at Anfield that had promised so much. Signed from Eintracht Frankfurt 12 months ago in a deal worth up to £79m, Ekitike had settled quickly, hitting 17 goals before his campaign was cut short.

Now 24, he is deep in the grind of rehabilitation.

Clairefontaine graft

Ekitike has been working at the Centre Medical de Clairefontaine, the renowned facility used by France’s men’s and women’s national teams. The centre shared several photos of the Liverpool forward putting in the work as he builds strength and mobility in the injured tendon.

The post from Clairefontaine read:

"At Clairefontaine, there is the Chateau for national team call-ups... and the Medical Centre for their rehabilitation. Thank you to our Bleus* and Bleues for their trust."

Ekitike liked the post and reshared it on his Instagram story, a small but clear signal that the next phase of his recovery is under way and that he is fully embedded in the process.

Liverpool had already confirmed that the striker underwent successful surgery shortly after the injury, and he has been steadily increasing his workload since then. The images from Clairefontaine underline that he is now into the more intensive stages of rehab, focused on the long journey back to full match sharpness.

Iraola’s blunt timeline

Andoni Iraola has never tried to dress up the situation. During pre-season, the Liverpool head coach made it plain that Ekitike remains some distance from a competitive return.

"In terms of order, I think the closest one to returning is [Giovanni] Leoni," Iraola said in July. "After will be Conor [Bradley] and Hugo [Ekitike], but especially the last two are still way off.

"We are talking about months and still a lot of time out."

The message was clear: there will be no rush, no shortcuts. Liverpool want their major investment back fully fit, not patched up.

Injury list bites

Ekitike is not the only long-term absentee. Iraola is also without Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley, leaving key areas of the squad stretched.

Leoni has been sidelined since suffering an ACL injury on his debut last September, a devastating blow for a defender who had only just arrived and was trying to make his mark. Bradley, meanwhile, picked up a knee injury in January and has been out ever since.

Three serious injuries. Three long rehabs. One manager forced to plan without them for months.

For Ekitike, the pictures from Clairefontaine mark progress, not closure. The real test will come when he pulls on a Liverpool shirt again and tries to pick up the thread of a career that was gathering speed before that cruel snap in April.