Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola
Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola
Liverpool host Villarreal in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday night, with kick-off at 8pm BST.
The Reds have won both of their league-phase games so far. They beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at Anfield and LASK 6-3 away, and another win would take them to nine points from nine.
The match reunites Andoni Iraola with Inigo Perez, now Villarreal’s manager, who was an assistant on Iraola’s staff at Rayo Vallecano. Liverpool have won both previous European ties against Villarreal, the 2016 Europa League semi-final and the 2022 Champions League semi-final.
Selection is the main question for Iraola. Victor Munoz is a doubt after picking up a knock in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League win at Brentford.
Munoz scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute, finishing after a through ball from Florian Wirtz. He had moved to right-back after Jeremie Frimpong went off, and Brentford were down to 10 men. Alexander Isak scored the winner eight minutes later.
Munoz received treatment twice during the game. His right knee is understood to be the issue, and he played on with strapping.
He then missed Liverpool’s open training session at the AXA Training Centre on Monday evening and he was later seen wearing a knee brace.
The doubt grew on Tuesday. According to footage shared by ElliotFMedia on TikTok, 23 Liverpool players arrived at the Titanic Hotel, the team’s meeting point ahead of home games. They came by private transport or on the team bus. Munoz was not among those filmed arriving.
The club has not confirmed whether he will miss the match. He could have arrived before the filming began or after it stopped.
Iraola praised Munoz at his pre-match press conference on Monday. He described him as “a player with hunger” who is adapting well, and he highlighted his willingness to cover at right-back.
Munoz joined from Osasuna in the summer and has made nine appearances for the club.
Liverpool are already without several players. Iraola confirmed that Dominik Szoboszlai and Frimpong will miss the game after both went off injured at Brentford.
Frimpong has a new muscle injury, and Iraola said it will be difficult for him to return before the November international break.
Szoboszlai suffered a recurrence of an earlier problem. Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitike are also injured.
Cody Gakpo spent Saturday on the bench after recovering from an injury, and Iraola said he expects him to feature in the Champions League.
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