Andoni Iraola rotates Liverpool squad for LASK Champions League clash amid injury concerns

Liverpool manager Iraola has rotated his starting XI as the Reds prepare to face Austrian side LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday evening. The Merseysiders are aiming to secure back-to-back victories in Europe, having defeated Atletico Madrid in their opening league phase match at Anfield last month.

With Liverpool navigating a gruelling schedule of nine matches in a 28-day period, rotation was always on the cards. Injuries to key personnel, however, have forced Iraola's hand in several positions across the pitch as they look to build momentum on the continent.

The demanding fixture list has significantly impacted Liverpool's preparation time on the training ground. Speaking ahead of the match, Iraola explained the importance of managing his squad's fitness during this intense period of the season.

"You don’t have a lot of time to train," the Spaniard told reporters during his pre-match news conference. "You try to prepare the games now a lot of times just with the videos and the tactics boards, just a little bit outside.

"You have to prioritise the freshness of the players. Especially now we are playing four games in ten days, it’s keeping all the legs, all the energy in the games."

Liverpool's attacking options have been severely depleted by injuries recently. Dominik Szoboszlai is a surprise absentee with a hamstring issue, while Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo failed to recover from knocks sustained during the international break in time for the trip. Both forwards were also missing during Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

In midfield, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are unavailable due to their omission from the Champions League squad. This has created opportunities for others, with Trey Nyoni stepping into the midfield alongside Ryan Gravenberch. Young attacker Lewis Koumas also retains his place in the side alongside big-money summer signing Bradley Barcola.

LASK (5-3-2): Jungwirth; Jorgensen, Mbuyamba, Alemao, Andrade, Dibango; Danek, Borgarde, Schopf; Lang, Adeniran

Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Frimpong, Araujo, Jacquet, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Nyoni; Barcola, Wirtz, Ngumoha; Koumas