Liverpool vs Villarreal team news brings a double injury setback for Andoni Iraola. The Reds will be without Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai when Inigo Perez’s Villarreal visit Anfield for matchday three of the Champions League league phase on Tuesday night (8pm BST kick-off). Liverpool have won both of their opening two games.
Frimpong and Szoboszlai ruled out
Both players were forced off during last weekend’s 2-1 win at Brentford and will not be available. Iraola said on Monday that Frimpong may not return until after the November international break. Szoboszlai suffered a recurrence of the injury that kept him out of Liverpool’s previous two matches before the trip to Gtech Community Stadium.
“I think they are different circumstances,” Iraola told reporters.
“Jeremie Frimpong is obviously a new muscle injury and it happened, I think, in the second or third minute he was playing, difficult to predict and we will have to wait until he recovers.
“But it’s going to be difficult, I think, before the break. We will try but it’s going to be difficult to have him.
“Dom Szoboszlai is different. It’s not a new injury, I think it’s in the same place it was probably last week. He hasn’t worsened the injury but probably we have to be a little bit more patient until he recovers fully.
“But it’s not like something now where he has to wait a lot of time to come back, he is more or less in the same situation he was last week.
“But we need more patience with him, but I appreciate the effort he did the other day, to be available, to want to contribute in a very difficult game that you know is going to be very physical – [against] one of the most physical teams, Brentford.
“And to put himself in front and to want to play speaks very well about him, yes.”
Who is available for Liverpool?
There is good news on Ryan Gravenberch, who is available again after serving a one-match Premier League suspension on Saturday.
Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo were not included in Liverpool’s league-phase squad. Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined.
Villarreal team news: Buchanan returns
Villarreal have been boosted by Tajon Buchanan’s return to training on Monday. The forward has missed their last three games with a hamstring injury. Nicolas Pepe has also missed the last three matches with an eye issue.
Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi was a Liverpool player between 2008 and 2013. He was named on the bench 51 times but never made a competitive appearance for the Reds.
Perez says his side will approach the occasion with pride.
“We have to approach it from the perspective that it’s a source of pride for the club to face this team again in this stadium and in the Champions League,” said Villarreal boss Perez.
“I think that’s the way to approach it: without fear, with courage.”
Last matches
Brentford 1-2 Liverpool (October 17): Alisson, Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Munoz, Barcola, Isak.
Villarreal 0-0 Elche (October 17): Gulacsi, Freeman, Foyth, Costa, Cardona, Akhomach, Comesana, Macia, Oluwaseyi, Perez, Moleiro.
14 facts to know about Liverpool vs Villarreal
- The two teams have met four times before, all in semi-finals (2015-16 Europa League and 2021-22 Champions League).
- Liverpool have won 15 of their last 16 Champions League group-stage/league-phase fixtures at Anfield.
- This is the Reds’ 59th match against Spanish clubs, more than against teams from any other nation.
- Andoni Iraola’s last goal in professional football came in a 4-0 win over Villarreal for Athletic Club in May 2015.
- Liverpool have won their last seven group-stage/league-phase games against Spanish teams, keeping four clean sheets in the most recent six.
- Ronald Araujo has played seven times against Villarreal, winning five.
- Alexander Isak scored three goals in five appearances against Villarreal for Real Sociedad.
- None of Liverpool’s last 45 European games has ended in a draw. The last was a 3-3 with Benfica at Anfield in April 2022.
- All six of Alexis Mac Allister’s Champions League goals have been scored at Anfield.
- Liverpool have played four European games on October 20 and are yet to win: a draw at home to Bayern Munich in 1971, a loss at Trabzonspor in 1976, a draw with Valencia at Anfield in 1998 and a home loss to Olympique Lyonnais in 2009.
- Villarreal’s 3-1 home win over Napoli a week ago was their first success in 13 Champions League matches (two draws, 10 defeats), and it ended a run of seven straight losses.
- The “Yellow Submarine” have won once in England in 11 visits, a 2-1 victory at Everton in a Champions League qualifier in 2005.
- Peter Gulacsi was on the bench 51 times during his spell at Liverpool from 2008 to 2013 without a competitive appearance.
- Inigo Perez, who took charge of Villarreal in the summer, was Iraola’s assistant at Rayo Vallecano during 2022-23.