Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola and Dominik Szboszlai
Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola and Dominik Szboszlai
Liverpool will look to extend their winning run when they host Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday following back-to-back victories over LASK and Brentford.
Andoni Iraola’s side have responded positively to their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, with their recent results providing encouragement ahead of another important European fixture.
The Reds produced an impressive attacking display in Austria last week, beating LASK 6-3 to secure their second victory in the Champions League league phase.
Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick, while Ronald Araujo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas also found the net in a match that highlighted Liverpool’s attacking quality but exposed some defensive weaknesses.
Liverpool followed that result with a 2-1 comeback victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak scored in the second half to overturn the hosts’ lead and give the Reds another boost before returning to European competition.
However, the victory at Brentford came at a cost, with Liverpool facing fresh fitness concerns ahead of Villarreal’s visit to Anfield.
Iraola has now provided an update on two players whose availability could affect his selection for Tuesday’s encounter.
Speaking at his pre-match conference on Monday, Iraola confirmed that Frimpong faces a difficult race to return before the November international break, while Dominik Szoboszlai must continue his recovery from an existing injury.
“Jeremie Frimpong is a new injury and we will have to wait until he recovers. It’s going to be difficult before the break, but we will try,” Iraola said.
The update represents a setback for Frimpong, who scored against LASK last week before suffering his latest injury at Brentford. His potential absence for an extended period would leave Liverpool without one of their options at right-back during a busy run of fixtures.
The situation with Szoboszlai is different, with Iraola explaining that the midfielder has not suffered a new injury but is still dealing with the same problem that kept him out of action last week.
The Liverpool manager stressed that the 25-year-old has not aggravated the issue, although he needs more time to recover fully.
“Dom [Szoboszlai] is different. It’s not a new one, it’s the same place as last week. He hasn’t worsened it, but we will have to be a little bit more patient until he recovers fully,” Iraola added.
The Spaniard also offered encouragement regarding Szoboszlai’s expected return, suggesting that the midfielder should not face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“It’s not like he has to wait a long time to come back. He’s more or less in the same situation as last week,” he said.
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