Andoni Iraola confirms Liverpool injury doubt and makes Bradley Barcola position clear

Gravenberch remains a doubt for Sunday's Palace trip due to pain management; Iraola confirms Barcola will play primarily as a winger.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola provided an injury update ahead of the trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday, confirming that Ryan Gravenberch is the only fitness concern for the squad. The midfielder was unused in last weekend's Arsenal defeat and missed the midweek Champions League match against Fenerbahce, and has also been left out of the Netherlands squad for the November international break. Iraola refused to rule him out entirely but acknowledged a late decision will be needed on whether Gravenberch can manage the pain and contribute. "The Ryan Gravenberch thing is a day-to-day thing. It's a matter of pain. Let's see if he can deal with the pain and if he can help us, yes," the manager said.

Iraola also clarified his tactical approach with summer signing Bradley Barcola, revealing he will predominantly use the £123m winger in his natural position despite trialling him as a centre-forward against Fenerbahce. "Bradley's a winger," Iraola explained. "He will be mostly, 90% of the times, used as a winger." The manager indicated he occasionally experiments with positional changes, citing similar trials with Cody Gakpo, but stressed that Barcola's primary role remains on the wing.