Liverpool head to Austria to face LASK Linz in the Champions League on Wednesday evening without key forwards Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, while Dominik Szoboszlai is also absent. The trio were all missing from Sunday's heavy 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, a game in which the Reds competed well for an hour until a contentious red card for Ryan Gravenberch changed the contest. Gravenberch will now be suspended for Saturday's clash with Brentford.
Szoboszlai struggling with hamstring issue
Szoboszlai was a surprise omission from the matchday squad against City, with his absence initially reported as a hamstring problem and later confirmed by head coach Andoni Iraola. "Another one coming from the international games," Iraola said on Sky Sports. "He came with an overload, he felt a tight hamstring. He's tried somehow, kind of pushing through training, but he was not feeling 100 per cent and we will have to wait for Dom, yes."
Iraola delivered a fresh update after the loss to City and did not sound confident about the midfielder recovering in time to travel to Austria. "They are not far, but it's difficult to tell you right now any of the three have trained with the group," he said of Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo. "We are taking it day to day. Probably I think the three of them are not far, I would say. But it's going to be… I don't know if they are going to be ready for Brentford, for Villarreal, for Brighton, I don't know. I don't really know."
Isak and Gakpo also sidelined
Iraola confirmed on Friday that Isak was still nursing a thigh problem suffered on international duty with Sweden during the extended three-week break. The record signing sustained the injury during Sweden's win against Romania on September 25 and, like Szoboszlai, is unlikely to recover in time to face LASK. Liverpool's open training session on Tuesday before flying out to Austria was expected to provide further clarity on the striker's issue.
Gakpo was on the receiving end of a strong tackle from Sasa Lukic against Serbia on September 27 and then requested to be taken off after initially attempting to carry on. He returned to Liverpool early for assessment on the ankle injury sustained before being ruled out against City. Like Isak and Szoboszlai, Gakpo did not travel to Austria.
Leoni and Ekitike nearing returns
Giovanni Leoni signed for Liverpool from Parma last summer in a deal worth around £26million, but a serious knee injury has limited him to just one senior appearance so far. The Italian central defender made his debut in a Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton in September 2025 and impressed before landing awkwardly following a challenge near the touchline just over 10 minutes from time. He was stretchered off and later confirmed to have suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear, with a full year of action expected to be missed.
In a boost for Liverpool, Leoni was expected to resume training during the extended international break. Having been sidelined for over a year, he may need some minutes for the Under-21s before being considered for first-team action, though the Carabao Cup game against Chelsea at the end of the month could be a realistic target.
Hugo Ekitike has not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain in April. The Frenchman missed the end of last season and the World Cup, with suggestions he would remain sidelined for between nine to 12 months, putting him on track to return between January and April next year. Iraola included Ekitike in his squad for the league phase of the Champions League, with the hope he could potentially return for the final two games in January, against Inter Milan and Lens. According to reports in France, Ekitike is now targeting a return before the end of the year after recently travelling to the United States to visit a specialist about his recovery.
Bradley still some way off
Conor Bradley is another long-term absentee, having undergone surgery on bone and ligament damage to his left knee suffered during the closing stages of the goalless away draw with Arsenal in the Premier League back in January. Providing a recent update on the Northern Ireland captain, Iraola said: "He is not close to training with the team. He is training alone but he has started touching the ball. We want him back as soon as possible. He has a road a little bit ahead of him and it is going to take some time. I think Leoni is a little bit ahead of him and still it's going to take some time for Conor, yes."
