Liverpool's treatment room is threatening to wreck Andoni Iraola's weekend. The Reds could be without six players when Brighton visit Anfield on Sunday, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong both ruled out and Victor Munoz facing a late fitness test.
Liverpool have won each of their last three games, but the squad that built that run is fraying at exactly the wrong moment. According to Liverpool.com, as many as six names are on the absentee list for Sunday, and Iraola is due to give a further update at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
Szoboszlai and Frimpong Ruled Out
The two freshest blows both trace back to last weekend's trip to Brentford. Szoboszlai was a surprise starter in that game despite a hamstring doubt, aggravated the same problem and was forced off in the first half. Sports Mole lists a possible return date of November 4 against Fenerbahce for the Hungarian, but Liverpool.com warns he was brought back too quickly last time and should not be rushed again.
Frimpong's story is worse. The full-back came on at half-time against Brentford and was replaced just seven minutes later. Iraola has already confirmed he will be out until the November international break, which follows next month's trip to Crystal Palace. "Jeremie is obviously a new muscle injury, and it happened, I think, in the second or third minute that he was playing," Iraola explained. "It is difficult to predict when he will return. We will have to wait until he recovers, but it's going to be difficult, I think, before the break — we will try."
Munoz Sweating and the Long-Term Ward
Victor Munoz is the one name on the list with a chance of making Sunday. The winger landed awkwardly at Brentford, finished that game, but then missed the Champions League win over Villarreal and has not been spotted in training this week. He has not yet been ruled out entirely, and Iraola is yet to provide a firm diagnosis.
Behind him sits a long-term ward that will not clear any time soon. Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles against Paris Saint-Germain in April and, after surgery, is not expected back until towards the end of 2026. Giovanni Leoni, who suffered an ACL injury on his debut in September 2025, has seen his return to team training pushed back a month and is now targeting the next international break. "It's taking more time than we wanted," Iraola admitted recently. Conor Bradley, out with a major knee injury since January's meeting with Arsenal, is doing ball work but is not yet back in team training.
The So What: A Defining Week on a Threadbare Squad
The timing could hardly be harsher. After Brighton on Sunday, Liverpool go to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek and then host Arsenal at Anfield in the Premier League — three games in seven days that could shape their season in two competitions. In midfield, Iraola must lean on Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Trey Nyoni while Szoboszlai heals, and the form of teenage winger Rio Ngumoha is one genuine bright spot in the gloom. The one mercy is discipline: Liverpool have no suspended players for Sunday.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is where title challenges quietly die — not in the big games, but in the weeks when the squad runs out of legs. Rushing Szoboszlai back at Brentford has already cost Liverpool once; Iraola cannot afford the same gamble with Munoz, however tempting a home game against Brighton looks. Win Sunday with a patched-up side and the injury list becomes a footnote. Drop points, and this week will be remembered as the moment the season started to unravel. Should Iraola risk Munoz against Brighton, or protect him for Chelsea and Arsenal?
