Liverpool news: Barcola's hat-trick, Iraola's injury verdict and Brentford build-up

Liverpool throttled LASK 6-3 away in the Champions League on Wednesday night, with Bradley Barcola taking the Player of the Match after scoring three of the goals.

Iraola called it a "very complete" attacking performance and said the switch that unlocked the game was one of the smartest he has made since arriving at Anfield. The victory was Liverpool's 13th European Cup hat-trick in history, a record that now has Barcola's name on its latest page.

Van Dijk, who signed off as captain, said the £123m signing has "turned a corner" and that supporters should expect a "massive" difference from him. The mood matters as much as the scoreline: three days after a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at Anfield, this was the response the Kop wanted.

Andoni Iraola faced the press from noon on Friday ahead of Saturday's trip to Brentford, and most of it went on the injury list. Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai were all discussed, and Iraola's answers gave no guarantee that the attacking line will be at full strength.

The better news came on Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, who Iraola said were "in a good place" as they work through their issues. He also gave an update on Giovanni Leoni's long-term knee rehabilitation, with the young Italian's progress described as steady rather than complete.

Three or four first-team absences would be a real test of a squad Iraola is still trying to steady.

Ryan Gravenberch's red card at LASK keeps him out for the visit to Gillingham Road, and Trey Nyoni is the midfielder expected to start alongside Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister.

That is a change in a young, important part of the side, and Iraola will be asked how he balances it with a European turnaround still in his legs. Roy Keane and Steven Gerrard both went for a high-scoring Brentford game, pointing at how Liverpool's front three plus Florian Wirtz have been firing since Iraola arrived.

The Bee's Hive has never been an easy trip, and the noise from the Anfield end in the last visit should sit in the players' ears. John Brooks is the referee, and kickoff is in the afternoon.

Liverpool have been told what they will cost to get Alex Scott, with a price tag reported alongside claims that a deal would set up a return for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is no longer on the first-team squad list at Anfield.

On Florian Wirtz, a European giant is reported ready to take on the issue that has defined his season so far, with his form under Iraola offering hope that a resolution is close.

Elsewhere Iraola is said to have made a transfer demand of the board after a run of inconsistent results, and one club is now ready to agree terms with Liverpool as soon as January.

There is also continued interest in someone billed as better than Ronald Araujo, and a Bundesliga wonderkid in Finn Jeltsch is another name on the list. Nothing is done, but Iraola's public push for reinforcements has been unusually direct.