Hugo Ekitiké's rehab has moved into ball work in Los Angeles, but Liverpool are still not offering a firm comeback date after the ruptured Achilles that ended his season. A Liverpool Echo report said he has stepped up his recovery in the United States, while a more informed timescale will only become clear once rehabilitation is complete. The latest sign of progress is visible enough, though it does not settle when he will be back.

Rehab work in Los Angeles

Ekitike suffered the injury in Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on April 8. He has been working with physiotherapist Berengar Buschmann in Los Angeles, a relationship that dates back to his Eintracht Frankfurt days.

A video on social media showed him doing ball juggling, passing drills and weight-bearing exercises, including work with and without crutches. That is the first clear marker of the rehab moving beyond the most basic phase.

The useful part for Liverpool is that the player who was available before the injury was producing decent numbers. In his last five tracked matches, Ekitike had one goal and ratings of 6.7, 6.2, 6.6, 6.7 and 8.0. He was contributing before the setback, which is why the recovery update will matter to Liverpool staff even without a return date attached.

Liverpool are still not naming a return date

The line from the club side remains broad. The Liverpool Echo report said a more informed timescale for Ekitike's comeback will only become clear once rehabilitation is complete. French publication L'Equipe had claimed last month that he was targeting a Boxing Day return against Hull City, but that is still only a target, not a confirmation.

For now, the most concrete detail is the work itself. Ekitike is on footballs again, he is loading weight through the injured side, and he is doing it under Buschmann in Los Angeles. Liverpool expect him to report for sessions with the club's medical department later this month, which should bring a clearer read on where the comeback stands.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →