Liverpool are still waiting on the fitness of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo before their Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday. The Reds face an in-form Bees side that remain unbeaten in the top flight this season under Keith Andrews and sit fourth.
The match offers a chance to respond after last weekend's 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, in which Ryan Gravenberch's controversial second-half red card proved costly. City were found guilty by an independent commission of all charges related to serious breaches of the Premier League's financial rules between 2009/10 and 2017/18; the club deny wrongdoing and have appealed.
Gravenberch suspended for Brentford clash
Gravenberch was available for Wednesday's 6-3 win over LASK Linz in Austria but will serve a one-match ban against Brentford. Manager Andoni Iraola is unsure whether Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo will be fit, as all three missed the last two matches with injuries from the extended international break.
Iraola said on Thursday: "It's early for us to say, we have still tomorrow's training. Obviously, they were not ready for last night [against LASK]. We have to wait and see. I think it's still very early but the same way I said they are not available for the previous games, I leave the chance open this time, yes."
Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo doubts
Szoboszlai missed the City game with a tight hamstring caused by an overload, and did not travel to Austria. If he remains out, 19-year-old Trey Nyoni is likely to keep his place. Isak, Liverpool's record signing, returned early from Sweden duty with a minor thigh injury; if absent, 21-year-old Lewis Koumas may start after scoring his first Champions League goal. Gakpo sustained an ankle injury against Serbia while on Netherlands duty and has not been ruled out.
Giovanni Leoni, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on debut last September, has seen his return delayed. Iraola 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." Hugo Ekitike, out since April with a ruptured right Achilles tendon, could return in January. Conor Bradley, sidelined since January with knee damage, is not close to training with the team.
