Szoboszlai Agony as Liverpool Suffer Double Injury Blow at Brentford

Dominik Szoboszlai's return from injury lasted barely half an hour and his replacement's replacement lasted seven minutes, as Liverpool's afternoon at Brentford turned into an injury nightmare — even as goals from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak dragged Andoni Iraola's side from behind to lead against ten men.

A comeback that lasted half an hour

Szoboszlai had missed Liverpool's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City and the midweek 6-3 Champions League win over LASK with a hamstring problem picked up on international duty, described at the time as minor. Iraola named him in the starting XI at the Gtech Community Stadium, a gamble that backfired inside 33 minutes.

The Hungary captain went down off the ball, received treatment and slammed the turf in frustration before walking off unaided and straight down the tunnel, visibly upset. Nineteen-year-old Trey Nyoni — who Iraola had teased on Friday might make his first Premier League start — was thrust into the action instead, as talkSPORT reported from the ground.

It was the last thing Liverpool needed. Ryan Gravenberch was already suspended after his red card against City, and Szoboszlai had begun the day as one of the doubts Liverpool were sweating on for this trip.

A headbutt, a red card and no penalty

The chaos kept coming. Liverpool were awarded a penalty moments after Szoboszlai's exit, only for VAR to overturn it — Dango Ouattara had won the ball rather than fouled Alexis Mac Allister. Then, on 44 minutes, Keane Lewis-Potter rose to head Igor Thiago's cross into the top corner and put unbeaten Brentford in front.

Brentford's lead survived barely four minutes before their afternoon tilted. While jostling with Jeremy Jacquet before a corner, Yehor Yarmolyuk aimed a headbutt at the Liverpool defender. Referee John Brooks went to the monitor and showed a straight red card, with the Premier League Match Centre confirming: "After review, the Brentford No.6 commits a headbutting action. The final decision is a red card."

Liverpool, furious, got no penalty to go with it — and the laws are clear on why. The ball was not in play when the offence happened, so the corner was simply retaken. Had the ball been live, it would have been a spot-kick.

Frimpong's seven-minute cameo

Iraola tried to weaponise the extra man at half-time, sending on Jeremie Frimpong for Ronald Araujo to stretch Brentford down the right. The plan lasted seven minutes. Frimpong pulled up injured and was himself replaced, Rio Ngumoha coming on in his place — a substitute substituted, and Liverpool's fourth injury interruption of a bruising afternoon.

Munoz and Isak turn it around

To their credit, Liverpool kept coming. On 62 minutes Florian Wirtz sent Victor Munoz through down the right, and the winger chopped back inside onto his left foot and guided a superb finish around Caoimhin Kelleher — his second Premier League goal. Eight minutes later Bradley Barcola fed Alexander Isak, who smashed the ball into the bottom corner from inside the area to put the visitors ahead.

On an afternoon when Chelsea had already won at Everton in the early kick-off, Liverpool simply could not afford another slip after the City defeat — and their makeshift midfield, with Nyoni and Ngumoha both on the pitch, refused to let the game drift.

So what: a brutal run now looms

The result will be forgotten long before the scan results. As Sports Mole set out, even a Grade 1 recurrence of a hamstring injury usually means a minimum of two weeks out — which would rule Szoboszlai out of the Champions League trip to Villarreal on October 20, the league visit of Brighton on October 25 and the EFL Cup tie with Chelsea on October 28, and put the November 1 visit of Arsenal to Anfield in doubt. A Grade 2 tear could mean six weeks.

Frimpong's setback stretches the same squad in a different place, leaving Iraola short of senior right-sided options just as the fixtures pile up. Liverpool's season will not be decided at Brentford — but the next fortnight may be shaped by two treatment rooms.

Beyond the Final Whistle: starting Szoboszlai was a gamble Iraola did not need to take. A "minor" hamstring, a player who had missed two games, a Friday press conference spent talking up a teenager who could have started instead — the warning signs were all there, and Liverpool are now paying for ignoring them. The comeback showed character; the team sheet showed the mistake. Should Iraola have protected his captain and trusted Nyoni from the start?