Andoni Iraola dismisses injury worries over Bradley Barcola

NOTHING SERIOUS: Liverpool players check on teammate Bradley Barcola after he picked up an injury. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola played down injury worries over new signing Bradley Barcola after he was forced off in the 2-1 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.

The France international impressed on his full debut for the club following his late move from Paris St Germain in a £123million deal and with better finishing could have had a hat-trick.

He went off on the hour holding his left calf to spark fears of an issue, especially as before his substitute appearance at Ipswich on Friday he had not played since the World Cup third-place play-off, but Iraola was not too worried.

“It’s just cramp, there is no injury. With Bradley, it’s about building his physical condition,” said the Basque, who marked his Champions League managerial debut with a win.

“We don’t really know, or we didn’t know until now probably, how much he can play, because he hasn’t had any minutes in pre-season for PSG.

“He played 30 the other day. Today we had some question marks, how many minutes he can give us, and probably now we know.

“And I’m very happy because also he has had two very clear chances against the keeper. He hasn’t scored, but I want him there.

“That is where he has to make the difference – arriving to those spots, those positions.” Good news over Barcola is more than welcome as fellow forward Cody Gakpo is rated only “50-50” for Saturday’s visit of Fulham after missing the game against Atleti.

“He doesn’t have like a proper injury in terms of bad, but he finished with niggles in both of the adductors the other day,” added Iraola.

“We expected to have him for today (but) it hasn’t been possible. It’s not a big thing, but the problem is we play here in two days and a half.” After conceding early to nemesis Marcos Llorente, who scored his fifth goal in three Anfield appearances, Liverpool bounced back with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in the 10-minute period either side of half-time.

“Lovely goal from Alexis, lovely goal from Dominik, it is good the midfielders can add goals,” said Iraola.

“We have midfielders that naturally they are going to arrive to the box, it is inside them, and it is good we can also benefit offensively.” Atletico head coach Diego Simeone, whose side have now lost their last six visits to England, bemoaned how his side faded as the game progressed.

“In the first half we played well and in the second we didn’t and then you start to commit errors and mistakes and all the effort you put in is just an anecdote,” he said.

“It happened in Bilbao (where they conceded twice straight after half-time) and here in Anfield.

“The details are important, we are conceding many goals, three in Bilbao, one in Sevilla, two tonight.

“I have said we are in a construction phase, people don’t like to hear that but we are building.”