Liverpool news as Andoni Iraola makes transfer plea and injury reality clear
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Liverpool FC NewsFeaturesLiverpool FCNew head coach Andoni Iraola has been tasked with making Liverpool competitive again after the team's disappointing fifth-placed finish in the Premier League last seasonAndoni Iraola is the new Liverpool head coach(Image: Getty Images)Andoni Iraola's first game as Liverpool's head coach takes place on Saturday, nearly 4,000 miles from Merseyside.The Reds will take on fellow Premier League team Sunderland at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee. Off the field, the club's sporting director, Richard Hughes, still has more than a month left to bring in fresh talent and make Iraola's squad as competitive as possible.Here, Liverpool.com looks at the latest headlines from Merseyside ahead of Iraola's first game in charge.Iraola's transfer pleaIraola has made his feelings clear regarding Liverpool's need for new players.The Reds have already signed defender Jeremy Jacquet and winger Victor Munoz this summer, but more reinforcements are needed following a fifth-placed finish in the league last term.Iraola and Liverpool are currently on a preseason tour of the United States(Image: Getty Images)Iraola is also without Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate after the trio left Anfield on free transfers earlier this summer.
We definitely need to sign a winger."Liverpool's injury listWhat makes the transfer situation even more pressing is Liverpool's injury list.It's unclear exactly when striker Hugo Ekitike and defender Conor Bradley will play again due to their serious injuries. But especially the last two are still way off, we are talking about months, and still a lot of time out."As Iraola suggested, young defender Giovanni Leoni is close to fully recovering from his ACL injury.
In better news, Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic aren't too far away from returning to first-team training.Iraola added: "We have Stefan and Wataru that are close to training with the group. They will start in this during this tour, training not fully, maybe, but partially with the group."While Iraola is close to getting Leoni, Bajcetic and Endo back, it's concerning that Bradley and Ekitike aren't close to fitness.