A clash with Brighton awaits Liverpool this weekend in the Premier League, but Andoni Iraola may be dealing with a few injury issues heading into the Anfield match

Liverpool stars Bradley Barcola and Victor Munoz were among those to miss training for the team ahead of the match with Brighton in the Premier League this weekend.

The pair are two fresh concerns for the Reds out of several players who have been missing in recent weeks, as Andoni Iraola continues to battle with the heavy fixture schedule ahead of him. Since returning from the international break, the side has already played four games in just over a week — including the 4-3 win against Villarreal — with the meeting against the Seagulls continuing that trend of playing every weekend and midweek.

With such a light squad at his disposal, the head coach has had to manage his options carefully, sharing the minutes around the Liverpool squad, some of it of his own backing, some of it enforced.

The game against Brighton won't be an easy one, with Fabian Hurzeler's side sitting third in the Premier League with five wins, one draw and one defeat. The standout statistic for the Seagulls is that they are comfortably the top scorers in the division, with 23 goals to their name — Manchester City is the second closest with 19.

It means Liverpool will need to be at its best to pick up another win at Anfield, but it's unclear how strong a team the manager will be able to field.

Iraola has been boosted by the recent returns of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, but in the lead-up to training, Sky Sports has reported that both Barcola and Munoz were absent.

On the French winger, it's stressed that he is doing an individual recovery session, which means he could be back in time for the clash with Brighton at the weekend, though it remains to be seen whether he is fit and available.

Munoz is recovering from a knee injury he picked up against Brentford, which meant he was an absentee for the win over Villarreal on Tuesday.

As for other notable absentees, both Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong were not spotted with the group.

The former is still dealing with a hamstring issue and could be missing for the next three games, while the latter is expected to be out for around a month.

The duo joins the likes of Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, and Conor Bradley, who are all sidelined at the moment through long-term injuries, with a return for the trio expected over the next month or two.

Iraola will certainly be hoping that the pairing of Barcola and Munoz are available for the match on Sunday, while he will need to deal with the five other absentees already on his hands.

Some rotation worked in midweek, with the likes of Florian Wirtz and Isak protected for most of the match before they were introduced, with the belief that they can go on to make an impact in the upcoming games.

Meanwhile, a return for Gakpo and an impressive performance from Rio Ngumoha could see the pair called upon again to feature in the wide flanks, should both Barcola and Munoz miss out.