Progress. That is the only word Liverpool supporters need to hear when it comes to Hugo Ekitike right now, and this week brought some genuinely encouraging news from the West Coast of America.

The 24-year-old striker has been in Los Angeles working through an intensive, individually-tailored rehabilitation programme after rupturing his Achilles tendon back in April. Crucially, ball work has now been introduced into his sessions — a significant step forward for a player dealing with one of the most severe injuries in football.

Ekitike suffered the blow during the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on 8 April. It ended his season immediately and, perhaps even more painfully, ruled him out of France's squad for this summer's World Cup. Cruel timing by any measure for a player who had been in outstanding form.

A video published on social media on Friday gave supporters a proper look at where Ekitike currently is in his recovery. Working alongside German physiotherapist Berengar Buschmann in Los Angeles, the striker can be seen performing basic ball juggling and passing the ball back to Buschmann — both with and without the support of crutches. Weight-bearing exercises aimed at strengthening the tendons have also featured prominently, along with aquatic aerobics and endurance-building drills specifically targeting the ruptured Achilles.

It is not easy viewing in places. Ekitike is visibly grimacing through some of the more demanding exercises, which is a stark reminder of just how punishing this kind of rehabilitation can be. There is nothing glamorous about the grind of recovering from an Achilles rupture. But the fact that he is at this stage — introducing a football into the equation — is meaningful.

The relationship between Ekitike and Buschmann is not a random arrangement. The Liverpool striker personally enlisted the German physio because of a long-standing working relationship that developed during Ekitike's time in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt. That familiarity and trust clearly matters when you are navigating one of the most physically and mentally demanding periods of your career.

Frankfurt, of course, is where Liverpool first identified and moved for Ekitike. The club agreed a fee worth up to £79m to bring him to Merseyside 12 months ago, and he repaid that faith handsomely last season, finishing as the club's top scorer with 17 goals. That return made him not just a popular figure with supporters but a key part of what Liverpool were building — which makes his absence all the more frustrating to contemplate.

On the question of timescales, the French newspaper L'Equipe reported last month that Ekitike is targeting a return around the festive period, with a Boxing Day fixture against Hull City mentioned as a potential landmark. That would represent roughly eight to nine months of recovery, which is broadly consistent with what a serious Achilles rupture can demand. However, those close to the situation are understandably cautious. The understanding is that a more accurate picture of when he will be ready will only emerge once his full rehabilitation programme has been completed. Setting targets is one thing — hitting them is another, and nobody is getting ahead of themselves.

What is confirmed is that Ekitike is due to report to the AXA Training Centre later this month when the new manager meets his squad for the first time. At that point, Liverpool's own medical department will be able to properly assess where he is and begin integrating him back into the club's processes. That handover from individual rehab to club-based care is another important milestone in what has been a long and lonely road.

For supporters, the overriding feeling here should be cautious optimism. The images from Los Angeles show a player working incredibly hard, refusing to take shortcuts, and surrounding himself with people he trusts. That says something about his character. Seventeen goals in his debut season was just the beginning — the hope now is that this spell on the sidelines does not define what Ekitike becomes at Liverpool, but merely delays it.

The next update from the AXA Training Centre could tell us a great deal about whether that Boxing Day target is realistic or wishful thinking.