Andoni Iraola has provided an update on Connor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, but refrained from predicting their return timelines. Both players are recovering from serious injuries and are not yet ready for match action.
Bradley suffered a severe knee injury during a goalless draw against Arsenal back in January. Since then, the defender has not seen any action on the pitch. Currently, he is working in the gym and is gradually getting closer to rejoining the team's training sessions.
Ekitike sustained an Achilles injury in April during a match against PSG. The French forward undertook a portion of his rehabilitation in the United States and has recently begun light training.
According to Iraola, both players are making good progress in their recovery, with Bradley ahead in his rehabilitation journey.
“They both feel very well. I think they’re in a good state right now.
Connor is quite close to returning to training with the group. It's not full training yet, but he can already do some exercises with the team.
Hugo is lagging slightly behind him, but that was all part of the plan. He is also recovering well according to schedule,”
— remarked the manager.
Despite the positive signs, Iraola emphasised the difficulties in pinpointing exact return dates following prolonged periods out due to injury.
“It’s tough to set timelines when players have been injured for so long. But I believe Connor is already close to the next stage,”
— added Iraola.
