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Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola insists he has no concerns about the form of Florian Wirtz.

Iraola unconcerned by Wirtz's form

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola insists he has no concerns about the form of Florian Wirtz.

The Germany international, who had an underwhelming first season at Anfield following his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen last year, has also made a slow start to the new campaign.

The 23-year-old playmaker has registered just one assist in five appearances for the Reds in all competitions this term. He received the backing of his national team manager Jurgen Klopp this week and Iraola has now echoed the sentiments of the former Liverpool boss.

Iraola, who is unbeaten in six games since taking charge, said: "He should be judged like everybody else - if he plays well or doesn't play well, or as I always say how does the team play when you are on the pitch?

> "I am very happy with Florian. I rate him very highly. He understands what we need from him. He's training to help us in every aspect of the game.

> "Obviously he will want to add assists or goals but he is helping us in a lot of different areas and also we could give him some rest the other day that I think he needed because he has been making a good effort in the games."

Iraola is confident another expensive recruit, £123m man Bradley Barcola, will soon get up to speed.

The Frenchman is yet to play a full 90 minutes since moving to Anfield from Paris St Germain at the end of the summer transfer window.

Iraola said: "With Bradley, the more times he plays the better he will become.

> "He has come straight in without pre-season minutes but in a good shape and, like all the signings coming from other leagues, he will need some time to adjust to the rhythm of the Premier League.

> "But he is very used to playing in high-level games and I see him in a good place."

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Hello and welcome to Sky Sports' digital coverage of Bournemouth vs Liverpool!

Andoni Iraola returns to the Vitality Stadium this afternoon as he looks to build on his unbeaten start to his tenure at Liverpool.

The Reds currently sit in 10th after securing just one win across their opening four games of the new season.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth are down in 16th but will take confidence from the memorable 2-1 win against Real Sociedad in midweek.

We'll be bringing you team news, live updates, analysis, free in-game clips and highlights from the game, so stay tuned!

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