The Frenchman was among four Liverpool senior players not spotted in a training session that was open to Sky Sports on Thursday, though it has been reported that he was taking part in an individual programme away from his team-mates.
Barcola has been an ever-present for Liverpool in the league since signing from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer and an update on his fitness will be provided by Andoni Iraola in the pre-match news conference on Friday.
Victor Munoz is a doubt after sustaining a minor knee injury in last weekend’s comeback win over Brentford.
Doubtful: Victor Munoz
Getty
That forced the winger to miss out on Tuesday night and it remains to be seen if he’s fit enough for a return as the Reds welcome Brighton to Anfield on Sunday afternoon for their second of four home matches in a row across three different competitions.
Iraola can also hand a recall to Florian Wirtz after he scored as a substitute in midweek, most likely for Trey Nyoni in a change that would see Ryan Gravenberch drop back into a more natural central midfield role alongside Alexis Mac Allister.
Dominik Szoboszlai is likely to sit out the Brighton game with a hamstring injury and Jeremie Frimpong’s muscle issue is set to keep him out for around a month, thus joining Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley on the sidelines.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak
Injured: Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Ekitike, Leoni, Bradley
Doubts: Barcola, Munoz
Time and date: 2pm GMT on Sunday, October 25, 2026
How to watch: Sky Sports
Venue: Anfield