Andoni Iraola hit by 'very worrying' Liverpool news as injury crisis worsens

Andoni Iraola is facing major concerns about the lack of depth in his Liverpool squad as their injury crisis continues to worsen.

Following the 2-1 win against Brentford on 18 October, the boss confessed that Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai will be missing "for some time" in a huge blow to his squad.

Both players were forced off during the win at Anfield, and despite no official prognosis on their blows, the boss is fearing the worst as both are set to be sidelined.

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Liverpool's lack of quality strength in depth could see them miss out on their ambitious targets this season.

After a difficult campaign last time out which saw them limp to a fifth-placed finish, Liverpool were optimistic that Iraola would lead them back to being silverware contenders.

However, while their start to the 2026-27 season has been strong, there are concerns that their squad is not yet ready to compete despite the amount of money spent.

Will Andoni Iraola be backed to improve his squad?

Experienced former scout Bryan King told Football Insider last month that Liverpool could be set for a busy January window as they aim to plug multiple gaps in the squad.

The Reds completed seven permanent signings during the summer, but just four of those are first-team ready, and that has left Iraola with major weaknesses in his side.

While they have enjoyed a strong start to the new season both domestically and in Europe, there are concerns that a growing injury list could see their form drop off.

"There are some major weaknesses in this Liverpool squad that I would be very worried about," Brown told Football Insider.

"We've spoken about their need for a new right-back, that's been covered, but it is a clear problem for them because of the injuries they've got in that position at the moment.

"Then when you look through the squad, there are concerns about players in pretty much every position, whether it's to do with their performances or their futures.

"The goalkeeper, Alisson, will he stay? Will Van Dijk stay? Is Kerkez good enough? Those questions are all being asked about their defence.

"Then in midfield, do they have enough depth? I don't think so, certainly not the quality you would want for a side challenging for the Premier League and Champions League.

"They want a new winger still because they didn't do that in January, then their striker options haven't been firing and you obviously have Ekitike on the sidelines long-term.

"A lot of their problems will only get worse if they suffer new injuries, especially in midfield and up front, because the players who are absent now have exposed them a bit.

"If Liverpool want to be a side who can compete for major silverware, they need to have a much deeper squad than they do at the moment, and that's going to be a problem."

What is Liverpool's priority for the January window?

After assessing Liverpool's current squad, there are clear concerns in a number of key positions, but the complete lack of depth at right-back will need to be addressed.

Frimpong has now joined Conor Bradley on the treatment table, while Szoboszlai will also be ruled out and is no longer an option, leaving Ronald Araujo to fill in for now.

Football Insider revealed on 11 October that Liverpool are set to prioritise the addition of a new right-back in January as the position has become a huge weakness under Iraola.

There are other key areas of the squad which could push the addition of a right-back down the line, but given their recent injury issues, Liverpool may be forced to act.

Despite opting against a summer move, Liverpool are now preparing behind the scenes to land a new right-back, with the role becoming an increasing priority.