Liverpool face Bournemouth with eight players ruled out ahead of crucial Premier League encounter

Liverpool travel to Bournemouth on Sunday with head coach Andoni Iraola set to return to his former club. The Reds have yet to taste defeat in any competition this season and will be looking to maintain that record on the south coast.
Iraola’s team booked their place in the next round of the League Cup with a 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday. That result came after Liverpool were held to a disappointing goalless draw by Fulham at Anfield the previous weekend.
After four Premier League matches, Liverpool currently sit 10th in the table and will be hoping to enter the upcoming extended international break with another positive result.
However, the Reds continue to have several players unavailable through injury. Hugo Ekitike is still recovering from the Achilles problem he suffered in April and is not expected to return for several months.
Giovanni Leoni is also still working his way back from an ACL injury sustained during his Carabao Cup debut in September last year. Conor Bradley remains sidelined too after suffering an ACL injury against Arsenal in January. According to the Liverpool Echo, there is still no confirmed timeframe for when the Northern Ireland defender will resume training.
Federico Chiesa is another absentee. The Italian has not featured for Liverpool this season after picking up an injury towards the end of pre-season. Iraola confirmed before the match that Chiesa will miss the Bournemouth trip, although a specific return date has yet to be established.
Speaking about his return to Bournemouth, Iraola acknowledged the familiarity between the two sides but insisted Liverpool must focus on securing all three points.
He said the team should be as ruthless as possible and leave any emotional reunions and conversations until after the final whistle.
Bournemouth also have several injury concerns of their own. Julian Araujo is recovering from a thigh injury and is not expected to return until at least November, while Eli Kroupi is facing a similar timeframe as he continues his recovery from an ankle problem.
Amine Adli is unavailable because of a calf injury, while Veljko Milosavljevic is dealing with a knee problem. Both players are currently expected to return sometime in October.
Iraola also admitted that facing Bournemouth will be difficult because of his knowledge of the club and the relationships he still has with players and staff.
Despite the personal significance of the occasion, the Liverpool boss made it clear that his attention will be firmly on getting the victory.