- 6 hours ago
Iraola on Liverpool injury latest ahead of Villareal Champions League group game
19/10/2026
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
19/10/2026
Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:03Good afternoon. Can we just start with the injuries to Dominic Sobberslay and Jeremy Frimpong?
00:09Very unfortunate. Do you feel they were brought back too soon?
00:14I think there are different circumstances. Jeremy Frimpong is obviously a new muscle injury.
00:23And it happened, I think, in the second-third minute that he was playing. Difficult to predict.
00:30And we will have to wait until he recovers. But it's going to be difficult, I think, before the break.
00:36We will try. But it's going to be difficult to have him.
00:39Dominic Sobberslay is different. He's not a new injury. I think he's in the same place he was probably past
00:44week.
00:44He hasn't worsened the injury. But probably we have to be a little bit more patient until he recovers fully.
00:54But it's not like something like now where he has to wait a lot of time to come back.
00:59He's more or less in the same situation he was past week. But we need more patience with him.
01:06But I appreciate the effort he did the other day. To be available. To want to contribute in a very
01:15difficult game.
01:16That you know is going to be very physical. One of the most physical teams, Brentford.
01:19And to put himself in front and want to play speaks very well about him.
01:27And just a word on Forian Wurtz as well. There's been so much attention on him.
01:32He became the first player to create nine or more chances from open play in a Premier League game for
01:38over five years.
01:39The last one was Sadio Mane. It sounds a stupid thing to say.
01:43But are we getting the best from him given the fact that he's creating so many of those chances?
01:48I think he's coming from two very good games. He played really well.
01:55The last away the other day also. I think he helped a lot.
01:59The team in possession, out of possession. And I hope we can keep him there.
02:05You ask me basically every day about him.
02:07We analyze and overscrutinize everything. But he does well also. It's fair to say.
02:14Tomorrow is the first of four successive home games in three different competitions.
02:20I know you haven't won at Anfield in the Premier League yet.
02:23Are you feeling there's a bit more pressure at home than there is away?
02:28No, it's true that we've had better results away than at home.
02:31But it's just the beginning. We had also very good games.
02:34Madrid was a very good game. Spurs at home was a very good game.
02:41Today we are playing different competitions. It's the Champions League again.
02:44I prefer always, if you ask me, I prefer to play at home.
02:47I prefer 100% to play at home.
02:50But it's true that the demand of the games, each one is different.
02:54And we take it one by one. Now for me it's Villarreal. That's it.
02:57It finishes there. Villarreal, everything. Prepare, focus on that one.
03:02It's going to be really demanding tomorrow. I know them very well.
03:05And we need to do, like, a game we did against Celtic Madrid, for example, here, if we want to
03:10win them.
03:12Hi, Adoni. A lot of games coming up in a short space of time now.
03:16But you've made a good start in this competition.
03:18So what's that balance like between wanting to maybe rotate maybe now or going as strong as you can and
03:26getting the results so that you can do it later on in the competition?
03:30I am thinking on putting the best start in the 11th I can against Villarreal.
03:35But maybe it's not the one you are thinking because some players are not fresh enough.
03:42You know, and probably it's better. Someone is more fresh to start.
03:47But in analysing the game, how can we put a good starting 11th, also thinking in the second half, how
03:54can we affect with the changes?
03:57And we know that we have a very busy schedule until the next international break.
04:04But we have to take the games one by one because it changes.
04:07You cannot plan too much because we recovered now.
04:10Ray and Gravenberg, but we are going to lose Dom and Frimpone and the next game is going to be
04:14different.
04:15And we go one by one and try to focus on how the players recovered from the other day.
04:21It was, I think, probably the most demanding game in terms of running stats that we played against Brentford because
04:29they demand this.
04:30So it's important that everyone that starts tomorrow feels ready to go and feels 100%.
04:38And I know you will know Villarreal very well from La Liga and you know their coach very well because
04:45you worked together previously.
04:46So what kind of a game are you expecting?
04:48Yeah, for me it's a special game because Inigo is my friend.
04:53Inigo, we know each other since the academy years in Athletic Club.
04:57We played with each other in the first team.
05:01As soon as he retired, I was quick enough to grab him to help me as an assistant.
05:09And we've been through a lot of things together.
05:13So also it's a privilege for me to face him in a Champions League game.
05:17He knows me very well.
05:19He knows everything.
05:22But also it's a team that I follow.
05:26I know the players.
05:28And it's going to be, yes, a little bit strange but in a good way.
05:35Richard Jolie.
05:38Yeah, hi, Andoni.
05:39On the subject of Inigo Perez, I mean, how much contact have you been with him?
05:44You know, when the draw was made?
05:46Were you messaging each other?
05:47Have you spoken to each other recently?
05:49It's the things that happen.
05:51It's not good for the relationships when these things happen.
05:54Because I talk to him a lot.
05:56But when you know you are going to face each other, you stop talking.
05:59You stop, sorry.
06:00You stop talking.
06:01Because you kind of leave the distance.
06:03You don't want to.
06:05So lately is probably the moment where we've talked less.
06:08We normally call time to time to talk about La Liga, about the Premier League,
06:15about football, about other stuff, about our families, about – but now, when the game
06:22gets closer, we haven't been in touch, honestly.
06:25And you wanted to bring him to England, didn't you, with Bournemouth?
06:28I mean, can you sort of talk about that?
06:30How big a blow was it?
06:32And did that actually sort of – him not getting the work permit helped him to get where he is
06:36today, in a way?
06:38Yes, I think so.
06:39We tried to take him to England.
06:43He was here, but he couldn't work.
06:45He didn't receive the work permit.
06:47We tried to do everything to convince.
06:50I think there is a panel who decides, you know, if you are good enough.
06:53They consider he was not good enough to be an assistant coach.
06:57I complained in that moment because I was coming with just two guys, Pablo and Inigo.
07:03But it has worked really well for him also because he could take Rayo Baicano.
07:09He's done very well.
07:10Now he's coaching in the Champions League with Villarreal.
07:13And I'm so, so happy for him, yes.
07:16Andy Hunter?
07:19Just on the same subject, Andoli, how did you manage that time?
07:23Because I think he was coming over with his family as well in Bournemouth.
07:27And obviously you're just starting in the Premier League for the first time.
07:30So how tough was it for all of you, especially when his family, you know, he has to uproot and
07:36go back?
07:37It was very difficult because everything was very provisional.
07:41You know, it's like he wanted to work here for us in Bournemouth.
07:45But, you know, until you don't have the work permit, you cannot do anything.
07:50You cannot put the kids in school.
07:54You cannot...
07:56And there was a moment where we realized, okay, it's not going to be possible.
07:59We were waiting because there is a process that takes some time when a panel analyzes if you are, like,
08:06good enough or you are worth a visa.
08:11But once they told us that it looked very difficult and he was denied, luckily for all, I think, because
08:18it was an uncomfortable situation, he could go and manage Rayo Baicano, yes.
08:24But also, for me, I think it was a place where I could work with Tommy, with Sean, they probably
08:35assumed more responsibility, you know.
08:37And I honestly had the chance to choose someone else coming from Spain and to be my assistant.
08:44But I consider, you know, Tommy and Sean, they were doing a great job and I think he's really happy
08:50also with them.
08:52Who's still in front?
08:55Hi, Donny.
08:56Just about Victor Munoz scored a great goal the other day.
08:59You were quite influential in bringing him here.
09:02Can you just tell us about that and what it was about him that stood out?
09:05Obviously, you watched a lot of him in La Liga.
09:07Yes, obviously, Victor is a player that we know very well.
09:14I also have a great relationship with Alessio Litschi that he was his manager past season and he speaks also
09:22very well.
09:23Once you have a player, you really understand what he gives to the group.
09:29Attitude-wise, I think he's ready to help in whatever position we need him.
09:34He's playing right, left.
09:36The other day, he played right-back.
09:39I think he's a player with hunger.
09:42He hasn't, like, played professionally in a big club like Liverpool, but he has been in the Academy of Barcelona,
09:50has been in the Academy of Real Madrid, has trained with those teams.
09:54He knows what is required, the level that is required in those teams and also with the national team.
10:01He's had an experience, so he's a player that is adapting really well, yes.
10:11Hi, Andoli.
10:12You've spoken about the difficulty of this current schedule, the four games in ten days,
10:16but there's been lots of adversity in that as well.
10:19Obviously, the strange situation against Manchester City, the losing Dom and then losing Jeremy.
10:24How much have you learned about your squad over the course of these last few games?
10:28I think you learn going through those difficulties,
10:33until you are not under the pressure of having to try victory in a position where he's never played,
10:43or go against a result, or play with ten players.
10:46So, and this gives us knowledge about each other, you know, when you are in a half-time,
10:53in a difficult situation, you have to adapt to an injury.
10:56The other day, Trenioni has to come up without warming up, straight away, you have to go in a rush
11:01there,
11:02and the same for Victor, you have to adapt, right?
11:06Those situations where no one expects and you have to react, I think shows character of the players.
11:12Also, we've been, unfortunately for us, in losing positions, sometimes, you know, in the Premier League,
11:20especially with being able to take a result from there.
11:27So, I think we need more, definitely, of these experiences, and I hope we don't have, like, difficulty.
11:33I hope everything, we score quickly and we can win the games, but normally it doesn't happen always like this.
11:38Paul-Jus.
11:39Trenioni, it's ten matches now for you as Liverpool manager.
11:43What have you liked and what have you not liked about those games so far?
11:48Yeah, I don't even have time to think about these things.
11:52Ten matches, you tell me, and it's already ten matches, you know.
11:55It's like, it has been a little bit of everything, but this doesn't stop.
12:02We don't have time even to reflect on a lot of things.
12:05It's, I mean, just as soon as we finished against Brentford, I was coming back in the bus with the
12:10VRL report,
12:11and as soon as we finish tomorrow, I will go with Bright.
12:14So, now it's almost learning through the process, adapting to these circumstances that all the teams will have.
12:20It's not just us, because VRL also have paid in the weekend, and they have to travel, and they have
12:25to...
12:27But, obviously, trying, no, to learn every day.
12:30You have to learn every day and improve, especially improve.
12:35There was a video yesterday, your final league game for Athletic against Villarreal, and the goal that you scored.
12:43Lovely goal, eh?
12:44Good goal, yeah.
12:46Can you describe what you remember about the goal?
12:49Yeah, yeah, no, lovely goal.
12:50Good goal.
12:53Yeah, last game, last game in San Mames, for me, very special, I think I had one of the best
13:01last days that you can ask for.
13:04We qualified for Europe in that game.
13:06I think it was also the game before the Copa del Rey final, that it was my last match, and
13:13we scored.
13:14We won 4-0, everyone was happy, but it has been a long time, a lot of times, a lot
13:19of years ago, but I remember very well that day.
13:23Yes.
13:23I don't know, just picking up on that, how different does 10 games as Liverpool manager feel to 10 games
13:31as Bournemouth manager?
13:33I think the results there were good, I guarantee you.
13:38It was very difficult to start in Bournemouth, as you remember, but from them, I think we had a really
13:46good run of games, and I hope here also we can continue after the 10 games in a good place.
13:57Andoni, just on Ronald Araujo, probably one of the more unlikely signings in the summer, but how sort of happy
14:03are you with the way he settled in, and also relieved, because he's probably solved a situation at right back
14:09for now?
14:11I think Ronald was here, for sure, he has answered some of those questions.
14:17Ronald was those kind of situations that probably before the market are not there, and while the market is going,
14:25situations that appear, we analyzed, we talked to the player, and since the first conversation I had with him, I
14:33think it was quite encouraging from my side,
14:37because you see a hungry player, experienced player, has played in a top club, willing to show his level, I
14:47asked him straight away also, because I was considering also these situations,
14:51maybe sometimes we will need you playing as a right back, or playing, he was ready for everything, whatever you
14:56need, whatever, and he has proven that he's ready to help the team.
15:05The more he plays, the more he plays, the more he also speaks the language, the more he learns from
15:10his teammates, also the more we will benefit from his experience, but everything has been quite positive with him.