Liverpool suffered a double injury blow during their 2-1 comeback victory over Brentford, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong both forced off.
Szoboszlai was withdrawn after 32 minutes after feeling discomfort in the same area that had recently kept him out. Frimpong, who came on at half-time, lasted only seven minutes before being replaced with what Andoni Iraola described as a new problem.
The setbacks came during a demanding run of fixtures, with Liverpool having played in the Champions League late before travelling to Brentford. They fell behind but recovered to claim three points, with Alexander Isak scoring the winning goal after the hosts were reduced to nine men.
Liverpool injury blow leaves Iraola concerned
Iraola said the club were dealing with “a very delicate situation” because of the limited time available for recovery between matches.
“We came from playing Champions League late, we arrived real late, late at night and probably not a proper chance of recovery,” he said after the game.
On Szoboszlai, Iraola added: “Dominik felt the same injuries, not a new injury so probably not healed enough.”
Frimpong’s issue was different, with Iraola saying: “Jeremie’s injury is new, he was cramping.”
His overall assessment suggested both players could be unavailable for a period. “But it will mean we will lose Dom and Jeremie for some time,” Iraola said.
The injuries are particularly disruptive given Szoboszlai’s importance in midfield and the reduced number of natural options available to Liverpool at right-back.
The situation also comes shortly after Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo returned from their own injury problems. Liverpool were nevertheless able to follow their recent Premier League defeat by Manchester City with a resilient win at Brentford.
But the victory came at a cost, with the latest fitness concerns adding to the physical demands of competing every few days.
