Liverpool are set to travel to Austria without three of their biggest names on Wednesday, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo all major doubts for the Champions League league-phase clash with LASK in Linz — and head coach Andoni Iraola admitting he expects none of his injured players back in time.
The trio all missed Sunday's 3-0 Premier League defeat by Manchester City at Anfield, a game that turned on Ryan Gravenberch's second-half red card. Liverpool now have barely 48 hours to regroup before the early kick-off at the Raiffeisen Arena, as talkSPORT's match guide confirms, and the early signs from Iraola are not encouraging.
Szoboszlai the Surprise Absentee
Isak and Gakpo were known doubts before the City game, but Szoboszlai's absence was the matchday surprise. The Hungary captain returned from international duty with tightness and overload in his hamstring, and Liverpool's staff tried to protect him in training by using him only as a floater. He still felt a small problem, and the club decided not to risk him.
Iraola explained after the City defeat that the issue is minor, but that the calendar is the real enemy: Liverpool play four games in 10 days, fly to Austria two days after the City match, and he believes it will be "difficult to recover any of the players" in time. As LiveScore reported, Szoboszlai is being assessed day by day, but with such a short turnaround the vice-captain faces a race he looks likely to lose.
His absence matters. Szoboszlai sets Liverpool's pressing tempo and links midfield to attack, and without him — and without their two senior forwards — the Reds looked short of punch against City once the game stretched.
Isak and Gakpo Still Sidelined
Isak's problem dates back to Sweden's win over Romania on 25 September, when he picked up a thigh injury. The striker had been finding his rhythm for club and country before the setback, and Liverpool felt his absence on Sunday, handing young Lewis Koumas his first Premier League start up front.
Gakpo, meanwhile, hurt his ankle on Netherlands duty against Serbia on 27 September. He tried to play on after a heavy challenge before asking to come off, returned to Merseyside early for assessment, and has not played since. Both forwards were already doubtful for the City showdown, and nothing in Iraola's latest update suggests either will be rushed back for a midweek trip to Austria.
Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni remain longer-term absentees, which leaves Iraola's options thin at both ends of the pitch.
Gravenberch Available — For One Night Only
There is at least one piece of good news in midfield. Gravenberch's red card against City brings a domestic suspension, so he will miss Saturday's Premier League trip to Brentford — but Premier League bans do not carry into Europe, so the Dutchman is free to play in Linz. Given the doubts elsewhere, he looks certain to start, in what may be his only appearance of the week.
Our verdict on the Gravenberch dismissal — and why the first yellow card caused such fury — is covered in our Gravenberch red card analysis. What is not in doubt is how much Sunday changed after he left the pitch: goalless when he was sent off in the 62nd minute, Liverpool conceded three times in 13 minutes.
LASK Have Problems of Their Own
Liverpool's hosts are not at full strength either. LASK lost 2-0 at home to Rapid Vienna in the Austrian Bundesliga on Sunday, and wing-back George Bello limped off with a muscle injury in that game and has been ruled out of Wednesday. Moses Usor, last season's top scorer, also came off injured just 12 minutes after being introduced, leaving his involvement in serious doubt, although captain Sascha Horvath is expected to be fit.
Kühbauer's side lost their league-phase opener 1-0 to AEK Athens, while Liverpool opened with a 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid — so the Austrians need a result almost as badly as their visitors need a response.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is exactly the kind of awkward European away night that tests a squad rather than a first eleven. Liverpool should still have too much for LASK, but with Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo all likely missing, Iraola has to find goals from somewhere — can Koumas, Barcola and company seize their chance in Linz, or is an upset brewing in Austria? Let us know in the comments.
Sources verified 2026-10-12: talkSPORT (match guide/team news), LiveScore (Iraola quotes via The Athletic reporting), This Is Anfield, 101GreatGoals (LASK team news). Quotes paraphrased; Iraola's "difficult to recover any of the players" is the only direct quote.
