Isak and Gakpo injury doubts leave Liverpool shorthanded for Man City showdown

Liverpool face a significant selection headache ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting with Manchester City at Anfield, after head coach Andoni Iraola confirmed that Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are both doubts with injuries sustained during the international break.

Isak picked up a thigh problem during Sweden’s 2-1 win over Romania on 25 September and did not feature again for his country. Gakpo, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury two days later in the Netherlands’ 2-1 victory over Serbia. Both players returned to Merseyside early, and Iraola has yet to determine whether either will be fit in time.

“I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries,” Iraola said. “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 is particularly awkward given the magnitude of the fixture. City arrive at Anfield having won every Premier League game this season, sitting six points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table. A second successive defeat for the hosts would push them further adrift in the title race.

The match also carries significance beyond the standings — it is City’s first since the verdict in the long-running 115 charges case, and the atmosphere at Anfield is expected to reflect that.

City have been in prolific form, ranking as the Premier League’s second-highest scorers behind Brighton, and put five past Sunderland in their most recent outing. Iraola acknowledged the scale of the challenge but pointed to his side’s defensive solidity as a potential equaliser.

“We’ve been unbeaten but they’ve won all of them, so it makes a big difference in their side,” he said. “I think we need to be very, very good if we want to beat City because they’ve been especially offensive, 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.”

Gakpo had been linked with a move to City during the summer transfer window, adding a further subplot to an already charged occasion.