Liverpool Injury Update Ahead of LASK: Latest on Szoboszlai, Isak, Gakpo and Bradley

Liverpool need a response in Austria. The defeat to Manchester City was their first of the season, and while the scoreline hurt, the bigger problem was what came with it, fatigue, injuries and fewer options for Andoni Iraola.

For an hour at Anfield, Liverpool were competitive. Then Ryan Gravenberch saw red, the game changed and City did what top sides do when given space and control. That part is simple. The more pressing issue now is squad availability ahead of the Champions League meeting with LASK.

There were at least a couple of decent signs at the weekend. Jeremy Jacquet recovered from a hamstring strain quickly enough to start, while Federico Chiesa made his first appearance of the season from the bench. Gravenberch, sent off against City, is also available because that suspension only applies domestically.

What Iraola may not have, however, is a full attacking unit. Three important players look doubtful or unavailable for the trip, while several others remain in longer-term recovery. Liverpool’s margin for error shrinks quickly when the fixture list starts to stack up.

Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo remain major doubts

Dominik Szoboszlai’s absence against City did not come out of nowhere. There had been concern before kick-off and those fears were confirmed when the teams were announced. The problem is a hamstring issue, one that appears to have developed after international duty.

Iraola explained the situation clearly: “Another one coming from the international games,” said the Liverpool boss 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.”

That is not the language of a manager expecting a player back in a matter of days. Liverpool will hope Szoboszlai can be ready for Brentford next weekend, but LASK may come too soon.

Alexander Isak is in a similar bracket. The striker picked up a thigh injury while away with Sweden in the win over Romania on September 25. He missed the City match, and Liverpool felt that absence. Without him, the attack lacked sharpness and experience, with Lewis Koumas handed his first Premier League start.

There is still a chance the open training session offers some encouragement, but at this stage it would be a surprise if Isak started in Austria. Liverpool need him fit, not rushed.

Cody Gakpo is the third name in this cluster, and his issue may be the least straightforward. The Dutch forward hurt his ankle after a heavy challenge while on international duty against Serbia on September 27. He tried to continue, then asked to come off. That usually tells you enough.

Iraola was blunt after the City defeat: “It’s true that now we play four games in 10 days, so it’s going to be difficult because we fly to Austria in two days.

“I think it’s going to be difficult to recover any of the players.”

That puts Gakpo firmly in the doubtful category, with no clear short-term return date.

Long-term Liverpool injury list still has no quick fixes

The longer-term absentees are a reminder that this is not a short spell of bad luck. Liverpool have been carrying major injuries for months.

Giovanni Leoni is the one case where there is real movement. The defender joined from Parma for around £26 million and has barely had the chance to get going after suffering an ACL tear in the Carabao Cup tie against Southampton in September 2025. He has been out for over a year, which is about as serious as it gets for a young centre-back trying to settle into a new club.

Now there is finally a route back. Reports suggest Leoni is expected to return to full training this week, a development that matters. Match fitness is another issue entirely, and it would be sensible for him to get minutes with the under-21s before being considered seriously for first-team action. A return later this month looks more realistic than immediate involvement.

Hugo Ekitike remains further away. He has not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain in April. That injury ended his season, ruled him out of the World Cup and left his recovery timeline broad from the start.

There has been some cautious optimism around him after his inclusion in Liverpool’s Champions League squad, and reports have indicated he is targeting a return before the end of the calendar year. That would be earlier than many expected, but Achilles injuries do not work to convenient schedules. Liverpool will wait until the medical staff are convinced.

Conor Bradley is in a similar place. The full-back suffered bone and ligament damage to his left knee in January against Arsenal and underwent surgery. He is back working individually and has started using the ball again, though that does not mean a team return is close.

Iraola offered a straightforward update: “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 [Giovanni] Leoni is a little bit ahead of him and still it’s going to take some time for Conor, yes.”

LASK test comes at awkward time for Andoni Iraola

This is where squad depth gets tested properly. LASK away may not be the most glamorous trip on Liverpool’s schedule, but it arrives at a bad moment. Players are missing, others are short of rhythm, and the side are coming off a defeat that exposed how quickly control can vanish when the game state turns.

Iraola will still expect a response. He has enough available quality to demand one. But Liverpool’s injury update matters here because it shapes the type of match they can play. Without Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo, the options narrow and the burden on the remaining attackers grows.

For now, the clearest expectation is this, Liverpool are likely to travel without several key names, hope for no fresh setbacks, and target Brentford for the return of at least one or two. Against LASK, getting back on track matters. Doing it without overextending half-fit players matters even more.