Liverpool duo unlikely to make Brentford trip; time for the bench to step up

Isak, Frimpong: Injury update after Liverpool win 5-1 vs Frankfurt

Liverpool FC’s huge 5-1 triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening offered respite from a dispiriting four-match winless run. Arne Slot’s charges rallied from an early concession, with strikes from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai securing the points at the Deutsche Bank Park.

Florian Wirtz did really well in this match to shut off the bit of criticism flowing his way. Despite that, emerging injury niggles cast a shadow over the win, potentially eating into the squad depth as the fixtures come thick and fast.

The most immediate blow came in the 16th minute, when right-back Jeremie Frimpong saw himself off the pitch after pulling up during a sprint along the flank. The 24-year-old Dutch international clutched his hamstring and signalled distress, prompting immediate medical attention. Conor Bradley replaced him after just 19 minutes.

Frustrations

This is the second time already this season that Frimpong has had to come off due to injury, the first one being against AFC Bournemouth in the season opener at Anfield.

Further complicating matters, Alexander Isak exited at the interval owing to groin discomfort. The Swedish international saw himself deployed alongside Hugo Ekitike in a novel 4-2-2-2 setup.

The boss mentioned how Isak signalled his groin issue halfway through the first half, necessitating replacement at the break. Federico Chiesa came on for the former Newcastle United striker. As Slot said, it is really tough to integrate a player without a proper pre-season behind his back, and it might potentially take a while before Isak does 90s for the Reds.

With the Brentford clash looming, availability for both these players remains an uncertainty. Apart from that, goalkeeper Alisson Becker continues out with a September hamstring issue, with Giorgio Mamardashvili filling in.

Giovanni Leoni endures a campaign-ending ACL rupture from his debut against Southampton last month. Ryan Gravenberch, nursing an ankle twist from the Manchester United game, missed Frankfurt duties, his return hinging on further evaluation. Wataru Endo merely rejoined the bench following hamstring woes incurred versus Chelsea before the October break.