Liverpool face LASK at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on Wednesday with kick-off at 6:45pm local time, their second group fixture of this season’s Champions League. They arrive four days after a 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, Iraola’s first loss as head coach, and with Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominic Szoboszlai all unavailable.

The question Iraola has not been asked to answer in public is the one dominating his team sheet: does Wirtz keep his place, or does a teenager from the academy start a Champions League match in his stead?

The numbers behind Wirtz’s slow start

Wirtz arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2025 for £116m. In six Premier League starts this season he has produced no goals and one assist, with 11 chances created and 14 shots across 469 minutes.

Against Manchester City he registered 0.15 expected goals and 0.2 expected assists, numbers Sporting Life described as another ineffective afternoon.

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Jamie Carragher’s verdict on Sky Sports was blunt.

“The Florian Wirtz signing isn’t working, and it hasn’t worked so far,” Carragher said.

“I struggle to think of one game where he’s won Liverpool the game, he’s been the man if you like.”

Gary Neville, alongside him, framed the problem differently.

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“It mystifies me watching him sometimes. His touch in a couple of important situations today really let him down,” Neville said.

Carragher’s prescription was that Ryan Gravenberch, used as a substitute at the Etihad in previous weeks and shunted around Iraola’s midfield, should start every week. His line on the arithmetic of that was that keeping Gravenberch out while Wirtz plays “has to stop”.

What Nyoni did against Tottenham

The name that has worked its way into the conversation from outside the pundit studios is Trey Nyoni. The 19-year-old was given his first senior start in the Carabao Cup win over Tottenham last month, playing 62 minutes in a double pivot alongside Alexis Mac Allister in a 3-1 Liverpool win.

The numbers from that night read like a scouting report rather than a debut. Nyoni completed 37 of his 39 passes, won four of his five attempted duels, made six ball recoveries and more tackles (three) than any other player on the pitch. He was not dribbled past once.

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Iraola’s assessment afterwards was that Nyoni “gives us energy” on and off the ball. The follow-up question, whether that is enough to put him into a Champions League team in place of a £116m signing, he has not had to answer in public.

Iraola’s ‘100 per cent’ line

He has, however, been asked about Wirtz. On Tuesday, with the LASK trip the next item in the diary, Iraola closed the door on the Carragher argument.

“We trust the players we have now to play in those positions. With Bradley and Flo, they have had good games and bad games this season like everyone else,” he said in his pre-match press conference.

“Bradley and Flo are players that I trust 100 per cent.”

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He then pointed at the names on the Liverpool injury list.

“Cody, Alex and Dom are our top scorers this season and now we don’t have them. We need other players to give us those numbers.”

With those three unavailable in Linz, the reading of Iraola’s answer that lands hardest is that Wirtz is being asked to deliver goals, not benched.

Team news and the LASK side of it

Szoboszlai returned from international duty with a tight hamstring and is a doubt, meaning Mac Allister is expected to start alongside Gravenberch at the base of the midfield. LASK are without Ramiz Harakate (knee), have doubts over Moses Usor, and are also missing Cheikne Kebe and Art Smakaj.

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Both sides go into the game level on three points after matchday one, with Liverpool having beaten their first opponent 2-1 and LASK losing 1-0.

Team sheets are published around an hour before kick-off at 5:45pm local time.