LASK Linz v Liverpool preview: kick-off time, team news and form
Liverpool head to Austria on Wednesday 14th October 2026 to face LASK Linz in the Champions League League Phase, with kick-off at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz set for 5.45pm UK time.
There's plenty riding on this one. Liverpool sit 15th in the competition's standings having taken three points from their opening game, while LASK are down in 27th after an opening defeat left them with nothing on the board. A win for Liverpool would be a big step towards consolidating a place in the top half of the League Phase table, while LASK will be desperate to get off the mark in front of their own supporters.
Form tells contrasting stories domestically and on the European stage. Liverpool's recent results read DWWDW, including a Champions League win over Atlético Madrid, a Carabao Cup victory against Tottenham, and wins in the Premier League, though they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in their last league outing and currently sit 9th in the Premier League. LASK's form, DDLLW, has been patchier, with defeats in the Austrian Bundesliga to Sturm Graz and Rapid Vienna sandwiched around a draw with Hartberg and a friendly win over First Vienna.
Liverpool Echo notes a historical link between the two clubs, recalling Besian Idrizaj, the LASK-connected forward who scored a hat-trick for Liverpool and later died at 22, with his shirt number retired by the Austrian side (Liverpool Echo).
On the injury front, Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has confirmed that Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are all missing again for the trip to Austria, as reported by Liverpool.com (Liverpool.com) and This Is Anfield, who note Iraola described the trio as "not far" from a return (This Is Anfield). This Is Anfield also report that eight senior players are absent from the 23-man squad named for the match (This Is Anfield), while Liverpool.com add that the same injured trio are also doubtful for the following game against Brentford after missing out here (This Is Anfield).
With such disruption, Iraola has hinted at changes to his starting line-up, telling reporters it would be "difficult to name exact same XI" as previous games, according to This Is Anfield (This Is Anfield). Attention has turned to Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, with the Liverpool Echo and the Guardian reporting that Iraola says he has "100%" trust in the pair but wants "other players" to "step up" and provide more end product (Liverpool Echo) (The Guardian). The BBC also report Iraola's belief that Wirtz and Barcola's performances "will come good" (BBC Sport). Liverpool Echo add that Barcola is still seeking his first real impact in the competition after his big-money move, as he looks to get his Liverpool career up and running at LASK (Liverpool Echo).
Milos Kerkez has spoken ahead of the game about the need to "give everything" against LASK, also touching on his relationship with Barcola and working under Iraola, according to LiverpoolFC.com (LiverpoolFC.com). The official club site also carried Iraola's pre-match analysis, in which he said Liverpool "want the win" and "have to do the job" in Austria (LiverpoolFC.com), while training photos from the club's base in Austria showed the squad preparing for the match (LiverpoolFC.com).
You can follow all the action from Linz when the match kicks off at 5.45pm UK time on Wednesday.
Written with the help of AI, using the match facts and the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
