The latest Liverpool injury and team news heading into the November international break with the Reds next in action against Manchester United
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Selhurst Park
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC at Selhurst Park(Image: 2026 Jacques Feeney/Offside)
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Liverpool return to action against struggling Manchester United after the November international break, and Andoni Iraola will have everything crossed that he does not lose any players to injury while they are away with their nations.
The Reds saw Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all suffer issues during the expanded September/October break, with the trio then missing games following Liverpool’s return to club action.
Five players already sat out the Reds’ victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday in their final game before the break. Liverpool were then handed a further two injury scares as Dominik Szoboszlai suffered an issue with his knee against the Eagles, before Virgil van Dijk withdrew from the Netherlands squad due to his own fitness setback.
Iraola had stressed that he hoped the Reds would be in a ‘better place’ injury-wise when they take on Manchester United, with their long-term absentees slowly edging closer to a return before the end of the year.
And with Liverpool’s current injured players now having a further two weeks to recover before the Reds return to action, the ECHO takes a look at how Iraola’s squad is shaping up and the latest on their walking wounded…
Virgil van Dijk
The Netherlands confirmed that Van Dijk had withdrawn from the international squad on Monday due to a fitness issue, with it later reported that he had been playing with a minor issue in recent weeks.
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Liverpool will hope that the Dutchman will be fit and raring to go against Manchester United after two weeks’ rest.
Potential return date: Manchester United (H), November 22
Dominik Szoboszlai
Szoboszlai suffered a knee injury in the Reds’ victory over Crystal Palace. Initially playing on with heavy-strapping on the joint after receiving treatment shortly before half-time, he was then withdrawn after 69 minutes.
Iraola hinted that he might have to withdraw from international duty, but the midfielder linked up with the Hungary squad after undergoing medical tests.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Hungarian Football Federation confirmed that Szoboszlai would remain with the squad and work closely with their medical team before a late decision is made on his availability.
Liverpool will be watching on anxiously, hoping that he does not aggravate the issue and will return fit to face Manchester United.
Potential return date: Manchester United (H), November 22
Ryan Gravenberch
Gravenberch was left out of the Netherlands squad as he continues to contend with a heel injury, having sat out the Reds’ last two matches against Fenerbahce and Crystal Palace.
Prior to that, the midfielder had also been left unused on the bench against Arsenal.
Iraola has repeatedly admitted that Liverpool are having to monitor the Dutchman day-to-day, with a return to action dependent on pain management.
Ahead of facing Crystal Palace, the Basque said: “The only doubt we will have is Ryan.
“The Ryan Gravenberch thing is a day-to-day thing, it’s a matter of pain. Let’s see if he can deal with the pain and he can help us.”
Potential return date: Manchester United (H), November 22
Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre
Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre (Image: Jeremie Frimpong and Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre )
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Jeremie Frimpong
Iraola said after the win at Brentford that Frimpong would be out for "some time" after he suffered a muscle injury.
It leavesFrimpong, who has been beset by issues since his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen, facing a fresh spell on the sidelines, with his head coach conceding he would not be back before the November international break.
Iraola, who is now without a senior fit and available right-back, said: "Jeremie Frimpong is obviously a new muscle injury and it happened, I think, in the second or third minute he was playing, difficult to predict and we will have to wait until he recovers.
"But it’s going to be difficult, I think, before the [November international] break. We will try but it’s going to be difficult to have him."
He was subsequently left out of the Netherlands squad, with it remaining to be seen if he will be fit in time to return against Manchester United.
Potential return date: Manchester United (H), November 22
Giovanni Leoni
Leoni's planned return after more than a year on the sidelines has been delayed - with the injury suffered by the centre-back more complicated than initially reported.
The £26m arrival from Parma last summer has been absent since sustaining serious ACL damage when making his debut in the Carabao Cup win at home to Southampton in September 2025.
Leoni had been expected to have resumed full training with the first-team squad during the recent international break. But Iraola revealed last month that his recovery was taking longer than hoped.
He said: “It’s taking more time than we wanted. The planning was to train with the team in this past international break [but] probably it’s going to be in the next international break, so we’ve lost one month in the process.
“Giovanni’s injury, I wasn’t here, but talking to the medical department, it was not just an ACL – it was a bad injury, a lot of things around the knee were involved apart from the ACL.
“He has to be very confident, the rehab process has to be very careful with him and we want to make sure once he comes to the team, he stays there in a good place.
“It’s true that we’ve had, not a setback, but a little bit of a delay, if you want. The plan now is he starts in the next break. It’s not that far but it’s a little bit later than we expected, yes.”
Should Leoni make his return to team training in the forthcoming weeks, Liverpool will still look to manage him carefully following such an extended stint on the sidelines with a serious injury.
Potential return date: December
Giovanni Leoni of Liverpool
Liverpool defender Giovanni Leoni has worked hard in the gym during his spell on the sidelines(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
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Hugo Ekitike
The second of Liverpool's three long-term injury victims, Ekitike has not played since rupturing his Achilles tendon against his former club Paris Saint-Germain in April. But according to L'Equipe, the hard work the striker is putting in behind the scenes could see him return to training later this month.
And it is believed that Ekitike's long-term target has been to get back into action by Boxing Day, which given the serious nature of the injury he sustained, would be a remarkably swift comeback.
The Frenchman was pictured at the club's training base recently undertaking some skipping exercises in the gym and Iraola said: "He is still doing very well according to the plan."
Potential return date: Hull City (A), Saturday, December 26
Conor Bradley
Iraola recently confirmed that Bradley is further ahead than Ekitike and is closing in on a return to light training.
The right-back suffered a knee injury back in January at Arsenal and his Northern Ireland manager, Michael O'Neill, also said last month that he didn't expect Bradley to be available for November's international matches.
And Iraola said: "Conor is not so far from training with the group – not like full training but doing some things with the group."
Given his head coach’s admission regarding his progress in comparison to Ekitike, a potential return could be on the cards next month.
Potential return date: December
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Virgil van Dijk (Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)
Virgil van Dijk (Photo by Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images)