Iraola sweats on Isak and Gakpo fitness ahead of Liverpool's clash with Man City

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has cast serious doubt over the availability of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City at Anfield, after both forwards returned early from international duty with injury.

Isak left the Sweden squad with a thigh problem, while Gakpo was sent home by the Netherlands with an ankle issue. Iraola confirmed the situation after speaking to beIN Sports: “Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries. 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 timing could hardly be worse for Liverpool. Iraola already has Hugo Ekitike sidelined with a long-term Achilles injury, meaning he could be without all three of his senior attacking options for the biggest fixture of his tenure so far. Centre-back Jeremy Jacquet is also a concern after being omitted from France’s 4-1 win over Belgium on Monday with a hamstring strain, though Iraola did not address his status directly.

The match carries added significance given that Manchester City’s visit comes as their first game since an independent commission found them guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules. City arrive in strong form, having won all of their league fixtures so far this season.

“We’ve been unbeaten but they’ve won all of them, so it makes a big difference,” Iraola acknowledged. “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. 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.”

Liverpool have collected four wins and three draws under Iraola, but the Spaniard is candid about the inconsistencies that remain. He pointed to a 2-2 draw at Newcastle as an example of a game where his side played well but were undone by transitions, and said finding the right balance between offensive fluidity and defensive control is still a work in progress.

“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. 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.”