Eight players set to miss Liverpool vs Fulham as Gakpo faces late fitness test

Cody Gakpo faces a late fitness assessment ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League meeting with Fulham at Anfield, with the Dutch forward having sat out the 2-1 Champions League win over Atlético Madrid in midweek.

“Cody we will see. He didn’t train yesterday,” Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said. “Today we will try with him and let’s see if he’s ready for tomorrow or we need to wait for the next one.”

Should Gakpo fail to prove his fitness, he will join defender Joe Gomez on the treatment table. The England international sustained an injury during pre-season and has yet to return to first-team training, though he is edging closer to a comeback. Federico Chiesa is also expected to be unavailable after picking up a muscle injury in the latter stages of pre-season, with no indication yet of when he will return.

Three longer-term absentees — Giovani Leoni, Conor Bradley, and Hugo Ekitike — remain sidelined as they continue their rehabilitation programmes.

On a more positive note for Iraola, summer signing Bradley Barcola is expected to be available after being substituted with cramp against Atlético. “Barcola was just cramps,” Iraola confirmed. “He should, I think, be available, if everything goes normal.”

Fulham arrive at Anfield having lost all three of their Premier League fixtures so far — defeats to Chelsea, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace — and manager Alvaro Arbeloa will be without captain Tom Cairney, who is recovering from a minor knee procedure last month. Young striker Jonah Kusi-Asare, who has made 10 first-team appearances for the club, is also yet to feature in a matchday squad this season after a knee injury hampered his previous campaign.

The fixture carries an added personal dimension for Arbeloa, who spent time at Liverpool as a player and will now face his former club in the dugout. He is also well acquainted with his opposite number. “I played with Andoni in the national team, and obviously we faced each other many, many times in La Liga,” the Fulham boss said. “I know him very, very well.”

Liverpool head into the match in strong form, having beaten Ipswich Town 2-0 in their previous Premier League outing before the midweek European victory.