With Liverpool back in Premier League action this weekend, Andoni Iraola has been discussing the availability of his players for a clash with Brentford
Andoni Iraola manager of Liverpool applauds the fans after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Fulham
Andoni Iraola has been discussing Liverpool's injury situation(Image: (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images))
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has claimed it is too "early" to tell if there will be any injury returns for the clash with Brentford this weekend, but has suggested that a trio of Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai could feature.
It follows a spell out since the international break for the three key players, with the former two having to withdraw from their national team camps over the three-week spell, while the latter returned with an overload of minutes and a tight hamstring problem.
The trio has missed out on matches against Manchester City and LASK over the past week, and with attention quickly turning towards the Premier League again, Iraola was questioned on their availability for a tricky tie with Brentford.
The manager responded: "It's early for us to say [on injury returns]. We have tomorrow in training, they weren't ready last night [against LASK]. We have to wait and see. I leave the chance open…”
It certainly leaves the door open for the players to return to the squad that will travel to London for the match on Saturday, where Liverpool will be keen to return to winning ways in the Premier League after the frustrating 3-0 defeat to Man City last time out.
Having lost all three stars over the international break is a huge blow to Iraola, with the manager having relied on all of them to contribute significantly in the early stages of the season so far.
Gakpo has stepped up significantly this campaign compared to the last, showing more of the quality that he had displayed in previous seasons. In the Premier League, the winger has one goal and three assists, having formed a good partnership with Isak in the frontline as a potential duo that could work off each other.
Speaking of the Swedish striker, he has also stepped up to the challenge of providing for the new manager so far. The 27-year-old has four goals in five appearances, eclipsing the three he scored last time out under Arne Slot, while showing signs that he could be worth much closer to the price tag that was paid for him than he did in the previous campaign.
Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak during Bournemouth vs Liverpool.
Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak during Bournemouth vs Liverpool.(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images)
As for Szoboszlai, his performances have been mixed so far. While the Hungarian international has looked to take on some of the responsibility of creating and scoring opportunities, the balance within the central ranks hasn't looked quite right.
That hasn't stopped the 25-year-old from scoring once in the league this season, while taking on a new leadership role within the squad.
When he returns, however, the main question will surround whether he will start in a deeper midfield role like he has done all season so far, or whether it will be as a number ten in place of Florian Wirtz after his early-season struggles.
Regardless of those possible returns, Iraola will be forced to shuffle the team around anyway, with Ryan Gravenberch's controversial red card against Man City last time out ruling him out from featuring against Brentford.
Whether Szoboszlai is fit enough to feature, or he opts for someone like Trey Nyoni instead, is unclear. However, the manager will be hoping for some returns across the board, as he continues to manage a thin squad through some challenging matches.