Florian Wirtz could be available for Liverpool's Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Chelsea on Wednesday, according to head coach Andoni Iraola. The forward was forced off with an ankle injury during Sunday's 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton, but he appears to have avoided a significant problem.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz missed the weekend fixture entirely, with Iraola confirming on Tuesday afternoon that both are expected to be absent again. Munoz has a knee injury, while Szoboszlai aggravated a thigh complaint in the win over Brentford earlier this month.
Wirtz closing in on return
Wirtz twisted his ankle and was substituted midway through the game against Brighton. Both he and Iraola played down the severity of the injury after the win, suggesting he could return just a few days later.
Iraola said: "We still have to wait. We train later. Florian was quite fine and optimistic he would be available." His potential return date is the Chelsea home game on Wednesday, October 28.
Szoboszlai and Munoz doubts
Szoboszlai missed the defeat to Manchester City due to a tight hamstring but returned the following weekend against Brentford. The same problem saw him withdrawn early from that game and is likely to keep him out for longer.
Munoz has missed Liverpool's last two matches and could miss a third in succession, with Iraola unsure whether he will feature in either of the two games this week. On both players, Iraola said: "With Dom and Victor I'm not so sure. I don't want to say no but I think it's more difficult than Florian." Their potential return date is the Fenerbahce away game on Wednesday, November 4.
Frimpong and long-term absentees
Jeremie Frimpong picked up a muscular injury earlier this month and is expected to be out until after the November international break, though he could feature in some capacity against Crystal Palace before the domestic pause.
Iraola said: "Jeremie is obviously a new muscle injury, and it happened, I think, in the second or third minute that he was playing - difficult to predict. We will have to wait until he recovers, but it's going to be difficult, I think, before the break - we will try." His potential return date is the Manchester United home game on Sunday, November 22.
Hugo Ekitike tore his Achilles back in April and is expected to be out until next year, though Iraola reports he is progressing well. Conor Bradley is also rehabbing from a long-term issue and is ahead of Ekitike in his recovery. Giovanni Leoni suffered a severe knee injury on his Liverpool debut last September and is still some way off returning. All three are potential returnees for January 2027.
