Liverpool FC got a nice win at Brentford yesterday, but it came with a price- a new injury concern in Jeremie Frimpong. And more bad news about Dominik Szoboszlai. Not only will both players miss out on Tuesday night’s visit from Villarreal, for the Reds’ third European fixture, they will be sidelined for some time beyond that. With Szobo, it’s the same thigh injury he already had, with manager Andoni Iraola saying yesterday:
“He has tried, he has trained the last days, but we didn’t know the minutes he’d have. It’s not another injury, he’s still not healed.”
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 of 8
Kickoff: Tuesday, Oct 20, 8pm
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, UK
UCL Standing, Form: Liverpool 5th, 6 pts WW Villarreal 14th, 0 pts, LW
Result Probability, According to Google: Liverpool win 64% Draw 20% Villarreal win 16%
Reds Team News
Like Szoboszlai, Jeremie Frimpong also had to be withdrawn early, due to injury. The fullback’s specific fitness issue is an unspecified muscular injury, with Iraola saying:
“He finished cramping the other day in the UCL, so we knew he wouldn’t start the game. We were playing against 10, and I thought he was going to give us more going forward, but he felt straight away something in the muscle.”
So there is no return timeline for either of them. Ryan Gravenberch served part of his suspension yesterday, but his ban only applies to domestic competition. He’s eligible for UEFA play, so he’ll be at the ready here.
Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.