Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has raised doubts over whether Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo will be available for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City after both players returned early from international duty with injuries.
Isak left Sweden’s camp with a thigh problem, while Gakpo pulled out of the Netherlands squad due to an ankle issue. Iraola confirmed their status remains uncertain ahead of the high-profile fixture at the Etihad Stadium, which comes after City’s recent punishment for breaching Premier League financial rules.
“I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries,” Iraola told beIN Sports. “Now it’s a matter of if they are going to recover in time to help us in the next game or not. But right now they are both injured.”
The forward duo’s fitness issues add to Liverpool’s ongoing challenges up front, with Hugo Ekitike already sidelined long-term due to an Achilles injury. Iraola did not update on centre-back Jeremy Jacquet, who was left out of France’s 4-1 win over Belgium on Monday because of a hamstring strain.
The match against Manchester City is the biggest test of Iraola’s Liverpool tenure so far. The team remains unbeaten this season with four wins and three draws, but City has won all seven of their games, creating a significant gap at the top of the table.
“We’ve been unbeaten but they’ve won all of them, so it makes a big difference in their side,” Iraola said. “I think we need to be very, very good if we want to beat City because they’ve been especially offensively scoring a lot of goals lately.”
He acknowledged the danger posed by City’s attacking players but expressed confidence in Liverpool’s recent defensive improvements. “We know the names that are very dangerous. But I think also we’ve shown good defensive improvements lately and I hope we can defend the threats that they have and also hurt them on the other side.”
The international break has disrupted the rhythm Iraola is trying to establish in a squad that underperformed last season. He said the objective is clear: to build a team that plays with intensity and verticality while maintaining control of the game.
“I think the goal is quite clear and I think everyone understands what we are trying to build,” he said. “Try to be more intense, more vertical, but also you want to control the games.”
Iraola pointed to Liverpool’s draw against Newcastle as an example of balancing control and attacking threat. “For example, I think in Newcastle (a 2-2 draw) we played a good game but probably we conceded two goals in transition (and) you want to control a little bit more of the games.”
He noted that while they have improved control recently, the team has lacked the offensive fluidity shown in the opening match of the season. “So now it’s a matter of balancing this a little. Obviously we want to attack very well and defend very well but sometimes you have to choose or you have to adapt the team to what you prefer or what is the requirements of a specific game and we are trying to balance all this.”
Liverpool’s injury situation and the challenge of facing a high-scoring Manchester City side underlined the difficulty of the upcoming fixture. Iraola’s latest comments leave Isak and Gakpo’s availability for the weekend in doubt as the team prepares for one of its toughest tests of the campaign.
According to Yahoo Sports.
