The FC Liverpool travels to Linz ahead of Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixture grappling with a mounting injury crisis that threatens up to three-quarters of the team’s offensive output, sport.ORF.at reported.
Injury Crisis Hits Liverpool Offense Before Linz Journey
Squad depth concerns intensified during the international break when forward Alexander Isak sustained a light thigh injury while representing Sweden, according to Ligaportal. Dutch international Cody Gakpo returned to Merseyside with a fresh ankle injury, while former FC Salzburg midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai also picked up a knock that left his availability in doubt. Ligaportal noted that Isak, Gakpo, and Szoboszlai were relegated to the stands during Liverpool’s recent 3–0 Premier League defeat against Manchester City, where manager Andoni Iraola was forced into heavy rotation after a red card to Ryan Gravenberch in the 62nd minute.
The potential absence of the trio strips the Reds of nine out of their twelve goals scored across all competitions this season. Isak leads that group with four strikes, Szoboszlai has contributed three, and Gakpo has added two. Gakpo has also provided four assists alongside one from Isak, accounting for half of the squad’s total creative output. Additional roster casualties include 19-year-old Italian central defender Giovanni Leoni due to a training backlog, Federico Chiesa with a muscle issue, Conor Bradley recovering from knee surgery, and French striker Hugo Ekitiké sidelined by an Achilles tendon rupture, as reported by Ligaportal.
LASK Seeks to Break Winless Streak on Home Turf
The Austrian double-winners enter the European clash mired in a four-match winless streak across all competitions, recording one draw and three defeats. Domestic struggles culminated in a 2–0 home defeat to Rapid Wien on the weekend before the fixture, following a 1–2 loss to Sturm Graz and a 3–3 draw with Hartberg, according to Wettbasis. Manager Didi Kühbauer’s squad previously opened their Champions League campaign with a 1–0 away loss to AEK Athen.
Despite their recent form slump, the Stahlstadt club carries notable home scoring power into the contest. Wettbasis highlighted that the Austrian side previously found the net against Liverpool during the 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage, where the English side ultimately prevailed 3–1 in Linz after conceding an early opener and secured a 4–0 victory at Anfield. Squad valuations underline the disparity between the clubs, with Liverpool’s roster valued at approximately 1.09 billion euros anchored by captain Virgil van Dijk, compared to LASK’s total squad market value of 62.4 million euros.
Puntive Pundit Debate Surrounds Florian Wirtz
German international Florian Wirtz continues to draw intense scrutiny following his summer 2025 transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, sport.ORF.at reported. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher publicly urged manager Iraola to drop the 23-year-old midfielder from the starting lineup, stating that the partnership has failed to deliver after 56 competitive appearances yielding seven goals and eleven assists. He has played 55, 60 games now. That is a lot. I don’t think anything is going to change,
Carragher remarked.
Conversely, former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard defended the German playmaker in the same coverage. I wouldn’t write him off yet. I think it is too early for that,
Gerrard countered, emphasizing that Wirtz possesses exceptional talent and requires additional tactical and structural support from the coaching staff and senior teammates.
Fixture Details and Standings Context
Liverpool arrives in Upper Austria holding three points from their opening UEFA Champions League league-phase fixture, having defeated Atlético Madrid 2–1 at Anfield through goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister. Domestically, the English side sits on two wins, three draws, and one loss after six Premier League fixtures following Iraola’s summer appointment succeeding Arne Slot.
The match kicks off at 18.45 local time at Stadion Linz in Austria on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Global broadcasting and tracking updates remain accessible via official competition portals and the Ligaportal live ticker.
Worth a look
