A squad stretched to its limits

Liverpool were already navigating a difficult injury situation before Sunday's 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City, and things have not improved since. The Reds now travel to Austria for Wednesday's Champions League fixture against LASK knowing they could be without as many as ten players, with a growing list of absences spanning first-team regulars, long-term casualties and squad members ineligible for European competition.

Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all missed the City defeat and will again be unavailable. Isak picked up a thigh injury whilst on international duty with Sweden, Gakpo suffered an ankle problem with the Netherlands, and Szoboszlai is dealing with a hamstring issue. Manager Andoni Iraola was careful not to catastrophise at his press conference, but also offered little in the way of reassurance about timelines. "They are not bad but it's difficult to tell right now (when they will be back)," he said. "We are taking it day to day. Really the three of them, I don't know if it's going to be Brentford or Villarreal."

The long-term absentees and European registration issues

Beyond those three, Liverpool continue to be without Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni, all of whom remain in the middle of their respective recoveries. Reds captain Virgil van Dijk did travel with the squad despite reporting a painful knock to his calf following Sunday's match, which will at least provide some reassurance at the back.

Further complicating matters, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa are not registered in Liverpool's Champions League squad. Both returned to the matchday squad for the weekend fixture following their own injury spells, but European eligibility rules mean neither can feature in Austria. As a result, academy players Jayden Danns, James McConnell and Luke Chambers have been drafted into the travelling party, with Danns and McConnell last starting in Europe during the 3-2 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in January 2025. Chambers' most recent European outing was even further back, a 2-1 Europa League loss to Union Saint-Gilloise in December 2023.

Young faces get a chance to shine

Centre-back Wellity Lucky and forward Josh Sonni-Lambie have also been called up, both having previously represented the club in the UEFA Youth League. Lucky has one senior appearance to his name, featuring in last season's League Cup defeat to Crystal Palace, whilst Sonni-Lambie will be hoping to make his mark should the opportunity arise. It is a significant moment for all three youngsters, even if the circumstances that have brought them into contention are far from ideal.

The 23-man travelling squad is a snapshot of where Liverpool find themselves right now: talented, but stretched, and leaning on youth to fill the gaps that injuries have torn open across the first-team group.

LASK are not without their own concerns

The hosts are not entirely without problems either. Winger Moses Usor is a major doubt after picking up a shoulder injury, with LASK boss Dietmar Kuhbauer cautiously hopeful it will not be a lengthy absence. George Bello, meanwhile, has been ruled out entirely with a muscle problem sustained in the same fixture. "George appears to have a muscle injury. He definitely won't be available on Wednesday," Kuhbauer confirmed.

Liverpool will take whatever advantage they can find. With so many key names missing, Wednesday night in Austria is as much about keeping the squad together as it is about the result, and how Iraola manages this depleted group over the coming weeks could shape the rest of their season.