Bradley Barcola’s Liverpool Journey Stalls Due to Injury

Bradley Barcola’s Liverpool start has stalled almost before it began.

The French winger, brought in this summer to add thrust and unpredictability on the left, is already facing his first spell on the sidelines after limping off an hour into Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid. Three games, no goals, and now an untimely injury has cut into his bedding-in period.

Carabao Cup minutes would have offered a softer landing. Instead, Andoni Iraola confirmed on the eve of Liverpool’s third-round tie against Tottenham that Barcola will be nowhere near the squad.

“He is not ready to train with the team yet. He is training on his own, but he has started to touch the ball. We want him back as soon as possible,” Iraola said, speaking to Foot Mercato.

The manager’s update underlined the reality: this is not a knock that clears in a week.

“He still has some time to recover, and it will take a while,” Iraola added. “With all these long-term injuries, I think Giovanni Leoni has a slight edge over him.”

That last line matters. It hints at the internal battle unfolding while Barcola watches from the treatment room. As Leoni edges ahead in the pecking order, the new signing’s Liverpool story pauses at a frustrating first chapter. The next one will depend on how quickly — and how strongly — he can hit the ground running once he finally returns.