Liverpool will hope to have Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo back fit for their Premier League trip to Brentford.

Reds boss Andoni Iraola has not been able to call upon the key trio since before the recent extended international break, significantly weakening his first-choice starting XI.

Szoboszlai was a shock absentee from the squad to face Manchester City last weekend, having returned from Nations League duty with Hungary carrying a hamstring issue.

Forwards Isak (thigh) and Gakpo (ankle), meanwhile, both returned to Merseyside early during the international window after sustaining problems while playing for Sweden and the Netherlands respectively.

Having not featured in the 3-0 defeat by City at Anfield, none were deemed fit enough to travel to Austria for Wednesday night’s thumping 6-3 win over LASK Linz in the Champions League.

Iraola said in his pre-match press conference the following day that it was too early to tell if Szoboszlai, Isak or Gakpo would return to contention against Brentford, though he confirmed that he was keeping the “chance open”.

Ryan Gravenberch started against LASK but will serve a one-match suspension in west London after his controversial sending off for a second yellow card that completely turned the game against City, with Alexis Mac Allister handed a rest.

Mac Allister will be restored to the starting lineup against Brentford, with 19-year-old Trey Nyoni likely to keep his place in the midfield engine room if Szoboszlai remains unavailable.

The absences of Isak and Gakpo have led to Nyoni’s fellow highly-rated youngster Lewis Koumas being offered the opportunity to lead Liverpool’s attack, and he scored his first Champions League goal against LASK after initially seeing two disallowed for offside.

Koumas would presumably be entrusted with the starting striker role again if the injury picture remains unchanged, supported from the left by midweek hat-trick hero Bradley Barcola.

Florian Wirtz seems to retain Iraola’s faith as the No10 for now despite more criticism of his performances from the likes of Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, though a return for Szoboszlai would give the manager more options in that regard.

Rio Ngumoha replaced summer signing Victor Munoz on the right flank in Austria, with those two battling it out again for a starting spot on Saturday.

Captain Virgil van Dijk got a rare rest against LASK, but he will certainly return to the defence against unbeaten and in-form Brentford, who currently sit fourth in the Premier League table.

That return will see Ronald Araujo shift to the right as Van Dijk slots back in alongside Jeremy Jacquet, with Jeremie Frimpong dropping out.

Milos Kerkez will also return at left-back at the expense of Kostas Tsimikas, with Alisson Becker a familiar figure in goal.

Iraola confirmed on Thursday that Giovanni Leoni now would not return to training until the November international break, while Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley remain long-term absentees.

Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Nyoni; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas

Time and date: 3pm BST on Saturday October 17, 2026