Liverpool’s Midfield Uncertainty Deepens as Iraola Signals Dominik Szoboszlai’s Unlikely Return for Champions League Clash

Liverpool’s injury crisis is deepening, with Dominik Szoboszlai now set to miss Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Austria’s LASK.

The Hungarian midfielder missed Sunday’s 3‑0 defeat to Manchester City after returning from international duty, suffering from fatigue and a minor overload issue.

With Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo also sidelined, manager Andoni Iraola suddenly finds himself lacking experienced attacking options.

The timing is particularly harsh, as the Reds have four matches packed into ten days, including upcoming fixtures against Brentford, Villarreal, Brighton and Chelsea.

Iraola pessimistic over Szoboszlai return

According to This Is Anfield, Iraola does not expect any of Liverpool’s injured players to recover in time for the trip to Austria.

Explaining Szoboszlai’s situation, the Liverpool boss said:

“Dom came from the national team with tiredness and overload. We put him as a floater in the training session to try to protect him, but he was not feeling okay.

“It is something very small but now we play four games in 10 days, so it’s going to be difficult because now we fly to Austria in two days. I think it’s going to be difficult to recover any of the injured players.”

Isak and Gakpo remain under observation after returning from international duty with thigh and ankle problems, respectively.

Liverpool squad depth is about to face its biggest test

This is precisely the type of fixture schedule that reveals whether a squad truly possesses sufficient depth to compete on multiple fronts.

Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures list shows the Reds face LASK on October 14, then Brentford three days later, Villarreal on October 20, followed by home matches against Brighton and Chelsea later in the month.

That compressed calendar leaves Iraola with almost no recovery time between games.

Liverpool already appeared to lack attacking experience in the loss to City, and losing Szoboszlai on top of Isak and Gakpo intensifies the difficulty.

On the plus side, none of the injuries are currently thought to be long‑term. However, with matches arriving every few days, even minor setbacks can lead to missed important fixtures.

For Iraola, the immediate challenge is straightforward: rotate the squad without compromising results.

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