Liverpool could be without either, or both of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo when they host Manchester City in the Premier League’s headliner fixture of the weekend.
Isak left Sweden camp early and returned to Liverpool after suffering a thigh injury while on international duty.
Liverpool vs Manchester City FYIs
Kick: Sun. Oct 11, 4:30pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Team News: Liverpool FC Manchester City
Predicted Starting XIs: Liverpool FC Manchester City
Detailed Injury Updates: Liverpool FC Manchester City
Google Result Probability: Liverpool win 35% Manchester City win 39% Draw 26%
Premier League Standing, Form: Liverpool 6th, 9 pts, DDWDW Manchester City 1st, 15 pts, WWWWW
Reds Team News
Gakpo did the same, exiting from the Netherlands camp early, due to an ankle injury.
“I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries,” Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said to beIN Sports yesterday.
“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.”
So they’ll both need to pass late fitness tests on Sunday, in order to make the matchday squad.
Another Liverpool player who got hurt over international break was summer signing Jeremy Jacquet. The defender suffered tightness in his hamstring while on international duty with France, but the issue is not serious.
He is working his way back to match fitness, and most likely should be passed fit for this crunch clash.
Elsewhere Fede Chiesa is basically a 50/50 proposition, as he recovers from a lower back injury.
And then finally, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley remain sidelined as long-term injury absentees.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.