Liverpool travel to the Big Smoke on Saturday with a 6-3 win in Austria still fresh and very little time to recover. Kick-off at the Gtech Community Stadium is 3pm, fewer than 72 hours after the final whistle at LASK, so this one will test the depth of the squad as much as its quality.
Brentford will not be a soft touch. The Bees are fourth on the table on 10 points and are still unbeaten this season, with two wins and four draws from their first six games. A tired Liverpool side will find them difficult to beat.
Recent meetings have been close. Brentford won 3-2 at home last October, and the return game at Anfield in May finished 1-1.
The big question is who is fit? Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Dominik Szoboszlai have all missed the last two games with injuries picked up during the international break.
Iraola said on Thursday that it was too early to call whether any of them would be involved, but will make a call after Friday’s training session.
With games every three days, he was clear that he needs everyone available, and changed the side for the LASK game with that in mind.
Expect more rotation, but if one or two of that trio come back it gives us a much stronger attack.
Szoboszlai’s energy in midfield would be a real help away from home, while Isak and Gakpo would add a sharper edge in front of goal.
We need a win on Saturday. The Reds sit ninth on 9 points, with seven goals scored and seven conceded in six league games, so there’s work to do at both ends of the field. Three points would keep us in touch with the sides at the top.
UK fans will not be able to watch live because of the 3pm blackout, but our TV and live stream guide has the channels for everywhere else.
As ever, we will be announcing the confirmed team on our LFC socials once it’s available and providing match updates through the game. Join in the discussion to share your views as the match progresses.
