On Tuesday, Liverpool play their fourth game in ten days when Villarreal come to Anfield for matchweek three of the group phase of the 2026-27 Champions League. With injuries and a thin squad in places, that’s going to be a tough task for Andoni Iraola’s battling Reds.
They at least did get some good news on the injury front on the weekend when Alexander Isak and Dominik Szobszlai were able to return after missing the previous two matches, but Szoboszlai picked up another knock during the game against
Brentford and Cody Gakpo remained on the sidelines.
After coming on in the second half, Jeremie Frimpong also picked up an injury, lasting less than ten minutes before suffering a muscle injury that could further limit Iraola’s options over the next few games.
“Jeremie is obviously a new muscle injury and it happened I think in the second or third minute he was playing,” Iraola noted when asked about the injury issues his side faces ahead of Tuesday. “It’s difficult to predict but it’s going to be until the [international] break, I think.
“We will try but it’s going to be difficult. Dom is different. It’s not a new injury, it’s in the same place as last week. He hasn’t worsened the injury but we have to be a little bit more patient—but it’s not like something where he has to wait a lot of time to come back. He is more or less in the same situation as last week.”
For Frimpong, a timeline that sees him out until the November international break would mean he misses at least six games, with league ties against Brighton, Arsenal, and Crystal Palace upcoming along with Villarreal and Fenerbahce in Europe and Chelsea in the League Cup.
For Szoboszlai, the safe target to attempt another return might be the weekend against Brighton. Meanwhile for Gakpo, while Iraola didn’t directly address his status, the forward was considered a possibility to be fit for for Brentford and a return some time this week will be expected.
“I appreciate the effort [Szoboszlai] did to be available, to want to contribute in a very difficult game that you know is going to be very physical,” Iraola added. “I think to put himself in front and to want to play speaks very well about him.”
