Liverpool coach Andoni Ira ola has expressed full confidence in the club’s recent signings, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, while urging the squad to step up in the absence of their top three scorers. The Reds will be without Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai when they travel to Linz for their Champions League clash with LASK on Wednesday. All three are nursing minor injuries incurred on international duty, and Ira ola said he does not yet know when they will be fit to return.
Ira ola highlighted that the lack of Isak, Gakpo and Szoboszlai has placed extra pressure on Wirtz and Barcola, who were already under scrutiny after Liverpool’s first defeat of the season under his stewardship. Barcola, who joined the club for a club‑record £123 million from Paris Saint‑Germain, has yet to score or provide an assist in six appearances and has struggled to win possession in the final third. Wirtz, meanwhile, has recorded only one assist this campaign and has not lived up to the expectations that came with his move to Anfield.
“Cody, Alex and Dom are our top scorers this season and now we don’t have them. We need other players to give us those numbers,” Ira ola said. “We trust the players we have now to play in those positions. With Bradley and Flo, they have had good games and bad games this season like everyone else. We know their level and we know they will give us good performances. Bradley and Flo are players that I trust 100 %.” He added that the team’s spirit, attitude and work rate were satisfactory, but the collective response to Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal in the recent match was lacking.
Ira ola also spoke about the impact of conceding early in the game against Manchester City. “A lot of what happened after we went down to 10 men was because we conceded straight away,” he explained. “We were making adjustments and then you go 1‑0 down and it’s different, because then you have to go for it and you get caught in‑between.” He stressed that while compactness is important, the team must also push forward to create space once a goal is conceded.
Virgil van Dijk is set to captain Liverpool for the 200th time in all competitions on Wednesday night, adding further experience to a squad that will be missing key contributors. The Reds will look to Wirtz and Barcola to fill the void and keep the team competitive in the Champions League as they navigate a challenging fixture list.