Frimpong Faces Six-Game Absence in Liverpool Injury Blow

Liverpool's expensive win at Brentford has come at a further cost: Jeremie Frimpong is set to miss six matches with a new muscle injury, while Dominik Szoboszlai needs more time after the thigh problem that has dogged him all month flared up again.

Both players were forced off during Saturday's 2-1 win at the Gtech Community Stadium, and Andoni Iraola gave a sober update at Monday's press conference before Tuesday's Champions League meeting with Villarreal at Anfield. As Sports Mole reports, neither man will be available tomorrow night — and Frimpong's absence will run far longer.

Frimpong: a new injury, six games gone

Frimpong's afternoon at Brentford summed up his luckless time on Merseyside. Introduced at half-time, the Dutchman lasted only a few minutes before pulling up with a hamstring problem — a brand-new injury, not a recurrence.

"Jeremie Frimpong is a new injury and we will have to wait until he recovers, but it's going to be difficult before the break, we will try," Iraola said. That break is the November international window, which means Frimpong is set to miss Villarreal tomorrow, Brighton on 25 October, Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on 28 October, Arsenal on 1 November, Fenerbahce on 4 November and Crystal Palace on 8 November. The earliest realistic return is Manchester United's visit to Anfield on 22 November.

It is a cruel pattern for a player who endured an injury-plagued first season at Liverpool and had already lost his starting place in the early weeks of this campaign to Ronald Araujo, the on-loan Barcelona defender operating at right-back.

Szoboszlai: not worse, but not ready

The news on Szoboszlai is better, if still frustrating. The Hungary captain started at Brentford after missing the Manchester City and LASK matches, only to go down before half-time with a recurrence of the same problem. Iraola admitted afterwards that his vice-captain had been brought back too soon.

"Dom is different, it's not a new one, it's the same place as last week, he hasn't worsened it but we will have to be a little bit more patient until he recovers fully," the head coach explained. "It's not like he has to wait a long time to come back." Szoboszlai will miss Villarreal and could sit out two to four games in total, with Brighton on Sunday the first possible return date if his recovery allows.

Iraola was keen to defend the midfielder's attitude: "I appreciate he wanted to be available for a very difficult game in a physical game. To want to play speaks very well about him."

So what: right-back is now a one-man position

The timing could hardly be worse. Liverpool face six games in nineteen days across three competitions, including Arsenal at Anfield and a trip to Fenerbahce, and their right-back depth has evaporated: Frimpong is out, Conor Bradley is still recovering from a serious knee injury, and Araujo — a centre-back by trade — is now the only fit senior option in the position.

In midfield, teenager Trey Nyoni replaced Szoboszlai at Brentford and may be asked to do far more than planned over the next fortnight. Liverpool's medical team, already under scrutiny for rushing Szoboszlai back once, cannot afford a second misjudgement with either player.

Beyond the Final Whistle: this is what a squad stretched past its limit looks like. Liverpool gambled on Szoboszlai's thigh because the fixtures demanded it, and the bill arrived within 45 minutes; Frimpong's body, meanwhile, keeps failing him just as he fights for his place. Iraola's squad management over the next three weeks — not any single team selection — will decide whether Liverpool reach the November break still fighting on all fronts. Should Liverpool have protected Szoboszlai at Brentford, even if it meant losing the game? Let us know in the comments.