Iraola shuts the door on Tottenham
Andoni Iraola spoke on Monday. Bradley Barcola will not play against Tottenham.
Liverpool host the Spurs on Tuesday night at 9pm in the third round of the League Cup. The French winger will stay sidelined. He has not even returned to full team training yet.
“He is not ready to train with the group yet. He is training alone, but he has started working with the ball,” the Basque coach said at his press conference. “We want him back as soon as possible. He still has some way to go and it will take time.”
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An injury picked up in the Champions League
The setback came in the European clash with Atletico Madrid. Barcola went off after an hour. It was the first physical blow of his English season, and it has landed at the worst possible time.
At 24, the Frenchman is still waiting for his first goal in his new colours. Three matches, zero goals. His early appearances have already been picked over in the English press, which expected more from the former Paris Saint-Germain man after such a heavily discussed summer move.
Iraola made a comparison that says plenty about the queue in the treatment room. “With all these long-term injuries, I think Giovanni Leoni is slightly ahead of him.” In plain English: the Italian defender will be back before the winger.
Liverpool move on without him
The club are coming off a frustrating draw with Fulham at Anfield. The attack is still searching for rhythm and the missed chances are starting to add up. Losing another attacking option in the middle of a rotation period only makes things harder for Iraola.
The League Cup was supposed to give some of the big names a breather. Hosting Tottenham this early already looks like a trap, and the manager will have to get by without one of his summer gambles.
No return date has been given. The staff are talking in weeks, not days.
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