Ryan Gravenberch will miss Liverpool’s Premier League visit to Brentford on Saturday, October 17, after being sent off in Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City at Anfield. The Dutch midfielder received two yellow cards and will serve a one-match domestic suspension.
Gravenberch was booked in the 47th minute for a challenge on Elliot Anderson and dismissed in the 62nd minute after fouling Jeremy Doku. Liverpool were level at 0-0 when he was sent off; City scored three times in the final 28 minutes through Erling Haaland, Doku and Rayan Cherki.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola questioned the first booking after the match. “I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card, never,” he said. The second booking, however, was more widely viewed as defensible because it stopped a promising City counter-attack.
The suspension applies only to domestic competition. Gravenberch remains eligible for Liverpool’s Champions League trip to LASK on Wednesday, October 14, but will be unavailable at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool’s midfield options are already stretched. Dominik Szoboszlai is a doubt with a hamstring problem, while Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are also unavailable. Gravenberch’s absence therefore leaves Iraola with a significant selection issue for the Brentford fixture.
Brentford are unbeaten in the Premier League this season, with three wins and three draws from their opening six matches. They are one of three unbeaten sides, alongside Arsenal and Manchester City, and sit fifth with 12 points.
The article’s claim that Brentford have “already secured a top-four finish” is incorrect. They are currently fifth after six matches; no club has secured European qualification at this stage of the season.
The claim that Kevin Schade has been a standout performer and is a fitness doubt is also unsupported by the available reporting. No source cited confirms his injury status or identifies Callum Carvalho as a player likely to replace him. Those references should be removed unless separately verified.
The verified issue is Liverpool’s midfield depth. Gravenberch’s one-match ban removes a key option for a difficult away fixture, while Szoboszlai’s fitness remains uncertain. He will be eligible to return when Liverpool host Brighton on October 25.
