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Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola eased concerns on Merseyside after confirming that marquee signing Bradley Barcola was merely dealing with cramps following the team's 2–1 victory against Atlético Madrid.
Barcola made his first start in a Liverpool shirt on Wednesday evening under the Anfield floodlights. The winger, who completed a move from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal valued at up to $166 million (£123 million), managed just 60 minutes before pulling up with what looked to be a calf problem.
The capacity crowd at Anfield watched anxiously as Barcola went down and received medical attention on the field. The French international then hobbled off the pitch, with Víctor Muñoz coming on as his replacement.
Iraola was swift to calm nerves following the final whistle. "It was just cramps, especially with Bradley. We are rushing him, but we decided [on Wednesday] to ask him to give the most you have, and let's see how you recover for the next one."
Liverpool return to action in just three days when they face Fulham over the weekend. The Reds will be aiming for three consecutive wins, and their prospects look brightest with Barcola fit and available.
Barcola's Recovery Must Be Handled With Care
Barcola arrived at Liverpool without having played a single minute of soccer since the World Cup. The Frenchman featured in France's third-place defeat to England on July 18 before sitting out all competitive action while awaiting his transfer from PSG.
The attacker continued training with the French club despite the absence of match time, though that is far from sufficient to build complete match sharpness. Once Barcola finally completed his move to Merseyside, he made his debut as a substitute in last Friday's 2–0 win over Ipswich Town.
He clocked just 26 minutes in that outing before Iraola handed him a start against a physically demanding Atlético Madrid backline. Barcola looked lively in the early stages but was unable to convert a brilliant counter-attack in the 50th minute after Florian Wirtz slipped him in on goal.
Shortly afterward, Barcola went to ground and was withdrawn at the hour mark. Experiencing cramps after such a lengthy spell away from competitive football is understandable, but Liverpool must exercise caution in how they manage his return.
The club cannot afford to jeopardize their prized signing's fitness by fast-tracking him into the lineup before he is truly ready. It may not be the crowd-pleasing call, but Iraola could well opt to keep Barcola among the substitutes from the outset against Fulham on Saturday to prevent any potential setback.