Bradley Barcola completed an individual recovery session instead of joining Liverpool’s main training group on Thursday, according to Sky Sports News.
Reporting from the AXA Training Centre, Sky’s Vinny O’Connor said the winger was doing recovery work. Liverpool have yet to confirm his availability for Sunday’s visit of Brighton.
“There’s no Bradley Barcola, but what we’re told is that he’s undergoing an individual recovery session at the moment,” O’Connor said. He later reiterated: “We are assured with Barcola, it’s a recovery session today.”
Barcola’s absence from the main session therefore does not, by itself, indicate a fresh injury concern.
The France international has had a busy spell. He scored a hat-trick in the 6-3 win at LASK on 14 October, then started at Brentford, where he set up Alexander Isak’s winner.
He began Tuesday’s 4-3 win over Villarreal on the bench, with Andoni Iraola explaining that Barcola and Florian Wirtz would otherwise have been making their fourth starts in 10 days.
Muñoz still out with knee problem
Victor Muñoz was also missing on Thursday after sitting out the Villarreal match. O’Connor said he “continues to recover from a bit of a knock on the knee”.
Liverpool have not provided further details of the problem or confirmed when he is expected to return.
Jeremie Frimpong and Dominik Szoboszlai were absent after both picked up injuries in the 2-1 win at Brentford. O’Connor reported that Szoboszlai is expected to miss between one and three games, while Frimpong faces around four weeks out.
Iraola has already said it will be difficult to have Frimpong back before the November international break.
Long-term absentees Hugo Ekitiké, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni also remained out. The plan is for Leoni to join team training during the November break.
Iraola’s pre-match press conference is scheduled for 1.30pm UK time on Friday, offering an opportunity for further updates on Barcola and Muñoz.
Liverpool host Brighton at Anfield on Sunday, with kick-off at 2pm UK time, live on Sky Sports. Fabian Hürzeler’s side are third, four points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool.
