Liverpool travel to Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon following their impressive 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK on Wednesday.
The Reds bounced back from last weekend’s defeat to Manchester City to make it two wins from two in Europe. After a relatively solid start to the campaign, Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season in a controversial 3-0 loss to Manchester City at Anfield.
Ryan Gravenberch’s second yellow card sparked debate among pundits, and the Dutch midfielder will miss Saturday’s match through suspension. Andoni Iraola will face a selection headache in midfield.
Liverpool’s three draws have left them hovering around mid-table, with only Brentford and Everton having drawn more Premier League matches this season.
Brentford drew 2-2 with Aston Villa last time out in a dramatic encounter, but suffered a potential setback when top scorer Kevin Schade was forced off with an injury. Head coach Keith Andrews said: “Just a shoulder injury. I’m not totally sure how he is.”
Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak missed the LASK game and remain doubts for Saturday’s trip. Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni also remain sidelined as they continue their respective rehabilitation programmes.
Isak picked up a thigh injury while on international duty with Sweden, while Gakpo suffered an ankle problem representing the Netherlands. Szoboszlai, meanwhile, is dealing with a hamstring concern.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also sustained a calf knock in Sunday’s defeat to Manchester City. “I had a little knock in the end on my calf which is pretty painful,” Van Dijk said after the game.
“So I’m going home to get some treatment to be ready for Wednesday. If I’m fit and ready to play I want to play. But at the end of the day it is the manager’s decision and we need everyone.”
However, Van Dijk was named in the 23-man travelling squad and featured in the second half of Wednesday’s victory over LASK.
Liverpool have won three of their last five matches across all competitions, drawing once and losing once. Their most recent outing was an impressive 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK, following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. The Reds also beat Bournemouth 1-0 and Tottenham 3-1 in the Carabao Cup, while drawing 0-0 with Fulham.
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