Frimpong out until November break as Liverpool lose Szoboszlai for Villarreal

Liverpool will be without Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai for Tuesday's Champions League match against Villarreal, and manager Andoni Iraola has warned that Frimpong is unlikely to return before the November international break.

Both players were forced off during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League win at Brentford on 17 October. The club confirmed that Frimpong suffered a new muscle injury only minutes after coming on as a substitute, while Szoboszlai's problem is a recurrence of the issue that had already kept him out of two matches.

Frimpong facing a longer wait

Iraola was candid about the timing of Frimpong's injury, which the club said occurred in the second or third minute after he entered the match.

"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," the Liverpool manager said.

"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."

The Straits Times reported that the November international break runs from 9 to 17 November. The Athletic reported that Liverpool have six matches scheduled before that pause, so Frimpong's absence will stretch across a demanding block of fixtures in both the Premier League and Europe.

Szoboszlai setback but no fresh damage

The news on Szoboszlai is less severe, though it still removes a player who has scored three goals in eight appearances in all competitions this season, according to The Straits Times.

His problem is the same one that sidelined him for the 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City and the 6-3 Champions League win at LASK, as reported by The Straits Times. Liverpool FC said the issue is not new and is in the same place as the previous week, and that he has not worsened it.

"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," Iraola said.

"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."

The Athletic reported that Szoboszlai's scan showed no significant damage to his hamstring from the Brentford match, which supports Iraola's view that this is a matter of patience rather than a lengthy lay-off.

Thin options for Anfield

The two new absentees join a growing list. Liverpool FC reported that Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined, and that Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo were not included in the Champions League league-phase squad, so neither is available for Tuesday regardless of fitness.

There is one piece of good news for Iraola. Ryan Gravenberch is available again after serving a one-match Premier League suspension, and his return gives the manager one more option on a night when he needs them.

Liverpool go into the game in decent shape in Europe, having won their opening two Champions League matches to collect six points, according to The Straits Times. Domestically they sit fifth in the Premier League with 12 points from seven matches.

Villarreal arrive after a 0-0 draw with Elche on 17 October, and Liverpool FC reported that Tajon Buchanan has returned to training after missing their previous three matches with a hamstring injury.

The fixture also carries a personal edge for the home manager. The Straits Times reported that Iraola and Villarreal boss Inigo Perez have known each other since their academy years at Athletic Bilbao.

"It is a privilege for me to face him in a Champions League game," Iraola said. "He knows me very well, he knows everything. It is a team that I follow, I know the players and it is going to be a little bit strange but in a good way."

Liverpool host Villarreal at Anfield on Tuesday, with kick-off at 8pm BST. Manchester City are in action at the same time against AEK Athens, before travelling to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.