Liverpool v Brighton team news brings a boost for Bradley Barcola, but Dominik Szoboszlai will miss Sunday’s Premier League game at Anfield. Andoni Iraola says Barcola has trained normally, while Victor Munoz remains uncertain after the knock he suffered against Brentford.
The club’s latest team-news update confirms a 2pm GMT kick-off on Sunday 25 October. Ryan Gravenberch is eligible again after serving a one-match league suspension. That gives Iraola another option as Liverpool continue a demanding run across three competitions.
Liverpool v Brighton team news: Barcola available
Barcola did not take part in team training on Thursday, but Iraola said on Friday that the forward had returned without a problem. The explanation was workload management rather than an announced new injury.
“Bradley has trained today normally. He’s fine with no problem,” the head coach said. He added that sometimes players need to stay inside while the staff manage their training loads.
That is an availability update, not a guarantee that Barcola will start. Iraola has been changing his team during a schedule that makes Sunday’s fixture Liverpool’s fifth game in a 28-day spell containing nine matches.
Liverpool v Brighton team news: Szoboszlai out
Szoboszlai and Munoz were both hurt during Liverpool’s win at Brentford and missed the midweek victory over Villarreal. Iraola ruled Szoboszlai out of the Brighton game, saying the midfielder was training outside on his own but was not yet ready to return.
Munoz’s position is less certain. Iraola said he had continued to feel pain after the knock at Brentford, despite finishing that match strongly. The manager described a return this weekend as difficult without definitively ruling him out.
Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain sidelined, according to the club. Gravenberch’s return to eligibility is separate from those injury decisions, following the suspension covered in our Premier League suspensions update.
Brighton weigh Minteh and Wieffer returns
There are possible returns for Brighton too. Fabian Hurzeler said Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer were due to train with the group on Saturday before a decision on their availability. His comments, quoted in Liverpool’s preview, left open the possibility of their involvement on Sunday rather than confirming it.
Pascal Struijk has missed Brighton’s past two matches and remains under assessment. Hurzeler said the issue could worsen if the club took a risk too early, placing player health ahead of a hurried return.
The visitors rested Diego Gomez and Maxim De Cuyper in the draw at Jablonec on Thursday, while Jason Steele missed that match through illness. Liverpool’s preview says Brighton look set to remain without Femi Azeez, Evan Ferguson, Kaoru Mitoma, Stefanos Tzimas and Zadok Yohanna.
After Liverpool’s 4-3 comeback against Villarreal, Iraola is balancing momentum with recovery. His comments point to continued rotation, not a settled starting eleven announced in advance.
Source: Liverpool FC’s team-news update, published 24 October 2026, including attributed comments from Andoni Iraola and Fabian Hurzeler.
