According to the Evening Standard, the Champions League is set to resume, and Liverpool's injury woes continue. The Evening Standard analyzed the latest injury status and potential return times for six players, including Szoboszlai, Isaac, and Gakpo.

Liverpool hopes to get back on track in Wednesday night's Champions League match against LASK. Last weekend, Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 0-3 at home to Manchester City in the Premier League. The Reds will now travel to Austria to prepare for the Champions League clash against LASK.

Despite Iraola's severely depleted squad, they held their own against Manchester City for a full hour at Anfield, performing admirably. However, after Gravenberch was sent off with a red card, leaving the team with ten men, they struggled to cope and were ultimately punished mercilessly by Manchester City.

Amidst this disappointing match, Liverpool also received some good news regarding player fitness. Jacquack shrugged off a hamstring strain to start, while Chiesa came off the bench late in the game, marking his first appearance of the season.

Liverpool's performance in European competitions will be crucial. Gravenberch is still eligible to play against LASK, as his suspension only applies to domestic matches. However, Iraola is expected to be without three key players for this game. Given this situation, here is the latest on Liverpool's injury situation and players' estimated return times.

Szoboszlai

Szoboszlai was surprisingly absent from Liverpool's squad list for the match against Manchester City. Pre-match concerns ultimately proved true, confirmed an hour before kick-off when Liverpool announced their starting lineup and substitutes.

It was reported that the Hungarian international missed the match due to a hamstring issue. Iraola later confirmed this in a pre-match interview.

The Liverpool manager told Sky Sports: "Another player had problems during the international break. He came back with an overloaded body and felt some tightness in his hamstring."

"He tried to push through in training but never felt 100 percent, so we'll have to wait and see how Szoboszlai recovers."

After the loss to Manchester City, Iraola provided a further update on Szoboszlai's injury, but his statements suggest it's still not optimistic that the midfielder will recover in time to travel to Austria with the team.

Liverpool hopes Szoboszlai can recover in time for next weekend's match against Brentford.

Estimated return date: October 17, away against Brentford

Alexander-Isaac

Iraola confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that neither Alexander-Isaac nor Cody Gakpo had recovered in time from injuries sustained during the international break.

As a result, Liverpool had to play against Manchester City without these two in-form forwards, and young player Lewis Koumas got his first Premier League start.

Isaac suffered a thigh injury in Sweden's victory over Romania on September 25. Like Szoboszlai, he is also not expected to recover in time for Wednesday night's Champions League match against LASK.

Liverpool will hold an open training session before flying to Austria on Tuesday, where Isaac's injury status is expected to become clearer. If Iraola gives a media interview then, he may also provide an update on the injury.

Estimated return date: October 17, away against Brentford

Cody Gakpo

As the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly. Cody Gakpo's absence further compounded Liverpool's problems, dealing another blow to the team before facing Manchester City.

The Dutch winger was brought down fiercely by Sasa Lukic in the September 27 match against Serbia. Although he initially tried to continue playing, he eventually requested to be substituted.

Gakpo then returned to Liverpool early for further examination of his ankle injury. After it was confirmed he couldn't return in time, he missed the match against Manchester City. It now appears he will remain sidelined for some time.

After the loss to Manchester City, Iraola commented on the injured players: "Indeed, we have to play four games in 10 days, and we fly to Austria in the next two days, so it will be difficult to get the players back in time."

"I don't think any of these players will be able to return in time."

Estimated return date: Unknown

Giovanni Leoni

Leoni joined Liverpool from Parma last summer for a transfer fee of approximately £26 million. However, due to a serious knee injury, he has only made one first-team appearance for Liverpool to date.

The Italian center-back made his Liverpool debut in September 2025 in the League Cup third-round match against Southampton. He performed well in the game, but with just over 10 minutes remaining, he landed awkwardly after a challenge near the touchline and sustained an injury.

Leoni received treatment on the field and was then stretchered off. The club later confirmed he had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

At the time, he was expected to be out for a full year, and that expectation now appears to have become a reality.

Estimated return date: October 27, home Premier League match against Chelsea

Ekitiké

Ekitiké has not played since rupturing his right Achilles tendon in the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain in April.

The French striker thus missed the end of last season and the World Cup. Previous reports suggested he would be out for 9 to 12 months, meaning he could return between January and April next year.

Iraola surprisingly included Ekitiké in the team's Champions League squad for the group stage, hoping he could make it back for the final two matches against Inter Milan and Lens next January.

According to French media reports, Ekitiké recently traveled to the United States to consult an expert on his injury recovery, and he has now brought forward his target return date to before the end of this year.

Estimated return date: November or December 2026

Bradley

Bradley is another of Liverpool's long-term absentees. In January this year, he underwent surgery after sustaining bone and ligament damage to his left knee near the end of Liverpool's goalless draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Regarding the latest on the Northern Ireland international, Iraola said: "He is still some way from returning to full team training. He is currently training individually but has started ball work. We hope he can return as soon as possible.

"He still has a long way to go and needs some time.

"I think (Giovanni) Leoni is a bit ahead of him in terms of recovery, but Conor still needs time to return."

Estimated return date: November or December 2026

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