Iraola: I have 100% faith in Wirtz and Barcola; no return date set for Isak, Gakpo and Szoboszlai

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has reiterated his full confidence in marquee signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola. Both have struggled to hit top gear recently and have faced criticism, with Reds legend Jamie Carragher even calling for the German playmaker to be dropped from the starting lineup following the clash against Manchester City.

Iraola also admitted he is uncertain when injured trio Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai will return to action, though he reassured fans that their setbacks are not serious.

"None of the three are in bad condition, but right now it's hard to put an exact timeframe on when they will be available. We are taking it day by day. I don't know whether they will make it for Brentford or Villarreal.

"It's true that Cody, Alex, and Dom are the most productive players in our system. We are missing them at the moment—they were out against City as well—and you always need players who can provide those numbers. We put our trust in the players currently available in those positions. Picking up injuries on international duty is a challenge every team faces; it is simply about adapting to the circumstances.

"Wirtz and Barcola have had their ups and downs, just like anyone else, and they will certainly deliver for us. Bradley had some good opportunities, he just wasn't able to finish them off. The more minutes he gets, the better his understanding with his teammates will become.

"When you represent a massive club like ours, performing at a high level is essential. Florian had very good performances with the national team and even scored. There will always be better and worse games. I prefer to view things collectively—how we play well together and secure results. It is a collective effort.

"Sometimes we shouldn't focus purely on statistics. They are two players I believe in 100%.

"Against Manchester City, we played well while it was 11 against 11. But they scored right after we went down a man. At 0-0, you can defend compactly with a lower block, but once you go behind... We wanted to push forward, but we couldn't create sustained pressure because they always had the extra man. On the goals we conceded, simply being compact wasn't enough.

"Tomorrow's match (ed. against LASK) is a must-win, and we want to make the strongest possible start in the competition. We won the opening match, and winning games in Europe is always tough. However, given a few minor knocks, it will be difficult to name an unchanged starting XI tomorrow," Iraola told his pre-match press conference.