Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has given the clearest hint yet that Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz could be back for Sunday’s heavyweight meeting with Arsenal at Anfield, but he stopped well short of promising either will be in the squad.
Speaking at the AXA Training Centre on Friday, the Spaniard said both players had a chance of being involved but that he did not yet know for sure. Szoboszlai has been nursing a hamstring problem and Munoz a knee issue, and with two days still to go before the 4.30pm kick-off, Liverpool’s medical staff will have the final say.
It is a significant call. Szoboszlai is one of the first names on Iraola’s team sheet when fit, and Liverpool will want every available body against a side who arrive at the top of the table.
Who is out for Liverpool
Even if the Hungarian makes it, the Reds will be short-handed. Striker Hugo Ekitike is sidelined with an Achilles injury and, according to reports, is not expected back until around the new year. Defender Giovanni Leoni is also out with a knee problem, while Conor Bradley remains on the long road back from the serious knee injury he suffered against Arsenal last season.
Jeremie Frimpong is the latest addition to the list. The wing-back has a fresh hamstring problem and is unlikely to feature before the November international break. That leaves Ronald Araujo as the probable stand-in at right-back, as he has been in recent weeks.
There is better news on Florian Wirtz. The German playmaker twisted his ankle against Brighton but recovered in time to come off the bench in Wednesday’s League Cup tie with Chelsea, which Liverpool won on penalties.
Arsenal’s crisis on the flanks
Mikel Arteta has bigger problems. Arsenal were dumped out of the League Cup by League Two Fleetwood Town on penalties in midweek, one of the shocks of the season, and they travel to Merseyside without several key men.
Bukayo Saka is out with a serious quad injury, William Saliba is sidelined with a back problem, and teenager Max Dowman begins a three-match domestic ban after his red card against Fleetwood was upheld. Noni Madueke is a doubt with an ankle issue, though Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis are all expected to be available after training this week, according to Sports Mole.
Old friends, high stakes
There is a personal edge to the occasion. Iraola described Arteta as a childhood friend and said the pair regularly spend time together after their teams meet. He also paid tribute to the champions, pointing out that they are top of the league and have lost only one game this season.
Liverpool are fourth, six points behind Arsenal and Manchester City, who are level at the top with City ahead on goal difference. The Reds have won five in a row in all competitions, but Iraola was quick to note that only two of those wins came in the league. He told reporters, as published on the club’s website: “There always has to be another level.”
He also urged fans to take things one game at a time and said it was too early in the season to be fixated on the table, while praising the Anfield atmosphere during the win over Chelsea.
What happens next
Liverpool will assess Szoboszlai and Munoz over the weekend before naming a squad for Sunday’s 4.30pm kick-off. A win would close the gap on the top two to three points, while defeat would leave them nine adrift of Arsenal before the November international break.
For Arsenal, three points would keep the pressure on Manchester City and help to erase the memory of Fleetwood. For Irish supporters of both clubs, it is the standout fixture of a busy weekend, and team news will be confirmed an hour before kick-off.
Sources
- Liverpool FC: Andoni Iraola press conference, every word (30 October 2026)
- Sports Mole: Preview: Liverpool vs Arsenal – prediction, team news, lineups (30 October 2026)
- Yahoo Sports (Daily Cannon): 2 Liverpool players could return from injury vs Arsenal (30 October 2026)
- Premier League News Now: Liverpool vs Arsenal preview, team news and prediction (30 October 2026)
Featured image: Anfield Stadium – geograph.org.uk – 2473962 by Stephen Sweeney, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Leave a Reply