Liverpool Face Brentford Injury Blow as Iraola Considers Major Lineup Changes
· Yahoo Sports
Liverpool face a difficult Premier League test against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, with injuries and suspension creating selection problems ahead of kick-off.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola is considering changes after a demanding run of fixtures that includes a reported 6-3 Champions League victory over LASK and a league defeat to Manchester City.
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Brentford, led by Keith Andrews, will aim to protect their unbeaten league run despite several fitness concerns. Both teams are awaiting updates on key players, while Liverpool must manage their squad carefully as the busy schedule continues.
Liverpool Team News: Gravenberch Suspended as Injuries Cause Concern
Ryan Gravenberch will miss the Brentford match through suspension after receiving a red card against Manchester City. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are available again after missing the Champions League game due to ineligibility.
However, Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain unavailable as they continue their recovery from injuries.
Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai are also doubts after missing the recent matches with injuries reportedly sustained during international duty. Iraola has left the door open for their return but has not confirmed whether any of them will be fit enough to play.
“We have to wait and see… I leave the chance open this time, yes,” Iraola said.
Liverpool are also dealing with a demanding schedule, with matches coming every three days or less. Iraola stressed the need to rotate his squad and keep more players ready to contribute.
“In this period especially, when we are basically playing every three days – almost less than three days – you need more players,” he said. “That’s why we changed the team a little bit [on Wednesday]. We will need to change again at the weekend.”
Brentford Team News: Schade and Schuster Face Fitness Tests
Brentford have their own injury concerns ahead of the Liverpool clash. Kevin Schade and Jannik Schuster were forced off during the reported 2-2 draw against Aston Villa last weekend, but both returned to training during the week.
“Jannik and Kev have been on the grass this week and we’ll see what tomorrow brings in terms of how much they can do.”
Nathan Collins and Mikkel Damsgaard are also recovering from injuries. Andrews said the players were getting closer to returning, although their availability remained uncertain.
Josh Dasilva, Kaye Furo and Antoni Milambo remain sidelined.
Sepp van den Berg, a former Liverpool defender, could feature if Schuster fails to recover in time. The defender has been included in recent matchday squads but, according to the supplied report, has yet to play this season.
Despite the fitness concerns, Andrews remains positive about his team’s condition ahead of the Premier League fixture.
“We’re in a really good place,” he said.
Brentford vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups and Match Details
Liverpool could make several changes as they deal with Gravenberch’s suspension and doubts over their attacking options. The supplied draft lineup includes Alisson in goal, with Ronald Araujo, Jérémy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez in defense.
Trey Nyoni and Alexis Mac Allister are among the options for Liverpool’s midfield. Victor Munoz, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola could support Lewis Koumas in attack.
Brentford’s predicted lineup includes Caoimhín Kelleher in goal, with Michael Kayode, Kristoffer Ajer or Sepp van den Berg, and Keane Lewis-Potter in defence. Yehor Yarmoliuk and Vitaly Janelt are possible midfield starters, while Jaidon Anthony, Mathias Jensen and Dango Ouattara are among the attacking options alongside Igor Thiago.
Brentford will look to use their home advantage and extend their unbeaten league run, while Liverpool need a strong performance after their recent league defeat.
The official starting lineups are expected around an hour before kick-off. Until then, the fitness of several players remains a key factor in the build-up to Brentford vs Liverpool.
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