Liverpool injury update: Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo miss LASK trip
Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo all missed Liverpool's Champions League match at LASK. Andoni Iraola says the trio are "not far" from a return but gave no date ahead of Brentford and Villarreal.
Liverpool's injury update ahead of a busy October is not encouraging: Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo were all unavailable for the club's Champions League match away to LASK in Austria on Wednesday 14 October 2026. All three problems were picked up or aggravated around the international break, and none of the trio has a confirmed return date. Coach Andoni Iraola described them as "not far" from coming back, but admitted the club is managing each case day by day ahead of the Premier League trip to Brentford on Saturday and the visit of Villarreal in the Champions League the following week.
Szoboszlai injury update: a tight hamstring after Hungary duty
The most surprising absence was Szoboszlai. The Hungary captain picked up a problem while on international duty, returned to Merseyside and trained before Liverpool's league meeting with Manchester City. During that session, however, he felt tightness in his hamstring, and the medical staff decided not to risk him. He sat out the City game and was then left out again in Austria.
According to Athlon Sports, via Yahoo Sports, Iraola explained the issue in simple terms: the midfielder "came with an overload; he felt a tight hamstring". Notably, Szoboszlai still travelled to Austria with the rest of the squad, but his name was not on the list of players registered for the match. That detail suggests the staff view the problem as short-term rather than serious, though the club has not put any timescale on his recovery.
Isak and Gakpo: thigh and ankle problems from international duty
Alexander Isak
Isak cut short his time with Sweden because of a thigh problem that was described as minor. Even so, Liverpool chose caution, and the striker missed both the City match and the trip to LASK. His absence matters: Yalla Shoot data shows Isak has scored 4 Premier League goals in 5 appearances this season, which accounts for more than half of Liverpool's 7 league goals so far. He is the only Liverpool player currently among the top 20 scorers in the division.
Cody Gakpo
Gakpo's problem looked the most worrying at the moment it happened. The Dutch forward went off after just 17 minutes of the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Serbia, holding his lower right leg. He then withdrew from the squad with an ankle injury, and the Dutch federation sent him back to Liverpool for treatment. Like his two teammates, he missed the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City and the Champions League fixture in Austria.
Key facts: Liverpool's three absentees
| Player | Injury (as reported) | Where it happened | Matches missed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominik Szoboszlai | Tight hamstring / overload | Problem with Hungary, tightness in Liverpool training | Manchester City (PL), LASK (UCL) |
| Alexander Isak | Minor thigh problem | Sweden duty, cut short | Manchester City (PL), LASK (UCL) |
| Cody Gakpo | Ankle injury | Netherlands 2-1 Serbia, off after 17 minutes | Manchester City (PL), LASK (UCL) |
What Iraola said about the return date
The message from the Liverpool coach was cautious rather than alarming. Iraola said the three players were "not far" from returning, but he would not commit to a date. He said he did not know whether they would be available for Saturday's Premier League match at Brentford or for the Champions League game against Villarreal the following week, and that the club would assess them day to day. No official medical bulletin with recovery timescales has been published by the club.
Impact on Liverpool: form, table and fixtures
The timing is awkward. The 3-0 loss to Manchester City, played without all three players, left Liverpool ninth in the Premier League on 9 points from 6 matches, according to Yalla Shoot data: two wins, three draws and one defeat, with 7 goals scored and 7 conceded. City sit top with a perfect 18 points, already nine clear of Iraola's side.
The next league opponent will not make things easier. Brentford are fourth on 10 points and unbeaten after six games (two wins and four draws), with a goal difference of plus six. A win at Brentford would lift Liverpool above their hosts; another poor result would leave them drifting further from the top four.
In Europe the picture is brighter. Liverpool opened the Champions League league phase with a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, and the matches against LASK and Villarreal are an opportunity to build a strong points base in the 36-team table, where the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16 and teams ranked ninth to 24th go into a play-off round.
- Saturday: Brentford v Liverpool (Premier League) - availability of all three unclear.
- Following week: Liverpool v Villarreal (Champions League) - Iraola could not say if the trio will be ready.
Background: three key signings of recent years
All three absentees are central to the project at Anfield. Szoboszlai joined from RB Leipzig in 2023 and has become a leader in midfield as well as captain of his country. Gakpo arrived from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023 and has offered goals and versatility across the forward line. Isak is the most expensive of the three: he moved from Newcastle in 2025 in a British-record transfer, and his early-season goals underline why Liverpool invested so heavily.
Losing a creative midfielder, the main striker and a wide forward at the same time strips a team of a large share of its attacking output. That helps explain why Liverpool have scored only 7 goals in 6 league matches, and why the club is keen to get the trio back without risking setbacks.
What's next for Szoboszlai, Isak and Gakpo
The next checkpoint is the Brentford trip on Saturday. Any of the three who trains fully in the final sessions of the week could come into contention, but Iraola has made clear there will be no shortcuts. Fans can follow the line-ups and the match as it happens on our live scores page, and we will update this Liverpool injury news as soon as the club confirms who is fit for Brentford and Villarreal.