Barcola's Absence Raises Concerns for Liverpool's Upcoming Matches
The cameras panned across Liverpool’s training pitches on Thursday and one name was missing from the picture that really mattered.
No sign of Barcola.
The £123million summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain, ever-present in the Premier League since his arrival, was not involved in the open session broadcast by Sky Sports. The initial ripple of concern was quickly tempered by word that the Frenchman was instead following an individual programme away from the main group, but his absence still throws a shadow over Liverpool’s preparations.
Anfield stages Brighton on Sunday, the second of four consecutive home games in three different competitions. It is a demanding stretch. Iraola needs his big guns.
Barcola doubt adds intrigue to wide battle
Barcola’s status will be clarified on Friday afternoon, when head coach Andoni Iraola faces the media at his pre-Brighton press conference. Until then, the question hangs: risk him, or reshuffle?
His consistency has underpinned Liverpool’s attacking balance since the start of the league campaign. Take him out, and the picture on the flanks suddenly looks very different – and far more competitive.
Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo both made forceful cases in midweek, impressing with the kind of sharp, direct performances that managers remember when they pick teams. Their form hands Iraola a genuine selection dilemma out wide. If Barcola is passed fit, does he walk straight back in? If he is not, does Iraola lean towards youthful energy in Ngumoha or the more seasoned versatility of Gakpo?
The pressure of the schedule means every call carries weight. This is not a week for sentimental choices.
Up front, though, one decision appears far more straightforward. Alexander Isak is expected to come in for Lewis Koumas through the middle, a switch that would restore a more orthodox focal point to Liverpool’s front line and allow the wide players to attack from stronger positions.
Wirtz pushes for recall as midfield reshapes
The contest for places is not limited to the front three. In midfield, Florian Wirtz has kicked the door open again.
Introduced from the bench in midweek, Wirtz marked his cameo with a goal, the kind of intervention that tends to be rewarded. Iraola can now hand the German playmaker a recall, most likely at the expense of Trey Nyoni.
That tweak would trigger a more natural rebalancing behind him. Ryan Gravenberch, used higher up the pitch at times, could drop back into a central midfield role alongside Alexis Mac Allister, restoring a double pivot that offers both control and progression. With Wirtz floating ahead, Liverpool would have a clear creative hub between the lines against a Brighton side that rarely sits deep at Anfield.
It is the sort of adjustment that can change the entire feel of a game.
Injury list bites on the right
Not all of Iraola’s changes are by choice. Some are forced.
Dominik Szoboszlai is likely to miss the Brighton clash with a hamstring problem, stripping Liverpool of one of their primary long-range threats and most dynamic runners from midfield. On the right flank, Jeremie Frimpong’s muscle issue is set to keep him out for around a month, robbing Iraola of a relentless outlet in wide areas and a regular source of overloads.
They join Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley on the sidelines, a growing group that limits rotation at precisely the point the calendar tightens.
The timing could hardly be trickier. Liverpool have already ticked off one high-stakes assignment in this home run, beating Villarreal in the Champions League. Next comes Brighton in the league, then Chelsea in the Carabao Cup last 16 on Wednesday night, before a meeting with reigning Premier League champions Arsenal at the start of November.
Four games. One stadium. Little room for error.
Anfield run will test Liverpool’s depth
This stretch will reveal as much about Liverpool’s depth as their quality. The absence of Szoboszlai and Frimpong removes two of the side’s most explosive runners. Barcola’s situation adds another layer of uncertainty. Against that backdrop, the performances of Ngumoha, Gakpo and Wirtz arrive at the perfect time, offering fresh solutions just as the fixture list tightens its grip.
Brighton’s visit will show whether Iraola can juggle form, fitness and fatigue without losing rhythm. The spotlight may be on who starts, but over the next fortnight, it might be the options he cannot call on that tell the real story of Liverpool’s ambitions.
