Team News: Five Liverpool stars ruled out of Nottingham Forest clash

Team News: Five Liverpool stars ruled out of Nottingham Forest clash Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest: Injury Blow, Anfield Pressure and What Iraola Must Fix Liverpool are back at Anfield on Saturday lunchtime, and the equation is simple. They need a win, they need a cleaner performance, and they need to stop making life difficult against Nottingham Forest. Forest have won on their last two trips to Anfield. That is not a quirk anymore, it is a problem. Oliver Glasner’s side may have opened the season with defeats to Leeds United in the Premier League and EFL Cup, but that does not hand Liverpool anything. If anything, it sharpens Forest’s focus. Liverpool injuries leave Iraola short Andoni Iraola goes into the game without five first-team players, and that matters. Squad depth is useful in theory, but availability decides weekends. There is no fresh concern over Alisson Becker, despite the usual online noise. The one clear update was on Federico Chiesa, with Iraola confirming, “In the game against Como he felt something at the back and it’s a small muscle injury. He is not available.” That leaves Chiesa out alongside longer-term absentees. Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike are still expected to be missing for months rather than weeks. Giovanni Leoni has yet to return, or at least there has been no meaningful update to suggest otherwise. Joe Gomez also remains unavailable after going off early in the first pre-season fixture against Sunderland. Photo: IMAGO Anfield form against Forest must change This is where Liverpool have to be more serious. Losing once at home to the same side can happen. Losing twice starts to expose a pattern. Forest have been organised, aggressive and willing to play without fear at Anfield, and Liverpool have allowed them to settle. Iraola does not need to reinvent anything. He needs sharper starts, better use of the ball in wide areas, and more control when Forest try to turn the game into a series of duels and transitions. If Liverpool let this become scrappy, they are helping the opposition. Key test for Liverpool and Nottingham Forest There is enough quality in Liverpool’s squad to get the job done, even with the absentees. What matters now is clarity. Move the ball quicker, defend the counter properly, and make Anfield feel like an advantage again. Anything else, and Forest will believe they can make it three straight wins on this ground. Saturday is not about drama. It is about competence, intensity and three points.