Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has minimized concerns over an ankle injury sustained by Florian Wirtz during the club’s 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Sunday. The German midfielder was forced off after 65 minutes following treatment on the pitch, having overstretched to block a Brighton attack near his own penalty box, with Trey Nyoni brought on as his replacement. Wirtz went down in discomfort after stretching to halt a Brighton attack on the edge of his own penalty area and received treatment before being replaced by Trey Nyoni after 65 minutes at Anfield on Sunday.
Speaking after the match, Iraola indicated that the issue does not look severe, though Wirtz will undergo a complete assessment by the medical team ahead of Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures. Wirtz, who spoke directly to BBC Sport, also shared a positive outlook regarding his recovery.
The 23-year-old played a key role in Liverpool’s early momentum, forcing the opening goal in the 17th minute when his low strike deflected into the net off Brighton defender Pascal Gross for an own goal. Alexander Isak doubled the advantage just four minutes later, converting a delivery from Bradley Barcola. Despite his strong performance, Wirtz is still searching for his first official Premier League goal of the campaign, though Iraola reaffirmed his complete faith in the midfielder amid scrutiny over his attacking statistics.
The victory marks Liverpool’s fourth consecutive win across all competitions and their first home league win since April, propelling them to fourth place in the Premier League table. Stopping a third-placed Brighton team that had entered Anfield on a four-game winning run, the Reds secured their fourth domestic clean sheet of the season. But Iraola’s side scored twice inside the opening 21 minutes and kept a fourth Premier League clean sheet of the season, brighton arrived third on a run of four straight league wins.
Maintaining squad fitness remains critical for Liverpool, who are already missing key players including Dominik Szoboszlai, Jeremie Frimpong, and Victor Munoz. Iraola’s squad faces a demanding fixture list with games scheduled every three days, starting with a midweek Carabao Cup clash against Chelsea, followed by a league encounter with Arsenal at Anfield and a road trip to face Crystal Palace.
