Liverpool Suffer Isak and Gakpo Injury Blow Ahead of Man City Clash

Liverpool will be without Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo for Sunday’s big Premier League game against Manchester City at Anfield, with both ruled out by injuries picked up on international duty.

Head coach Andoni Iraola confirmed the news. “They will not play the game. They are not ready,” he said. “Unfortunately for us, both got injuries during the international break.”

He said the club had hoped to get through the break without bad news. “As a manager you’re always waiting until the games end and the doctor doesn’t call you, doesn’t give you bad news,” Iraola said. “But in this case we’ve been unlucky.”

Isak had to leave the Sweden camp with a thigh problem. He got hurt in a match against Romania on September 25, though Sweden boss Graham Potter first said it was not too serious. 

“He’s got a small problem with his thigh. It’s not a big one but because of the amount of games we’ve got in a small space of time, he won’t be able to make those,” Potter said.

Potter explained that the injury looked minor at first. “It was during the game. Like anything, you sometimes get bumps and bruises in the game, you might think it’s a bit of a dead leg or something. But actually 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, not quite what you think,” he said. 

“Unfortunately after getting it checked out, it’s a little bit more than what you think during the match. He has to miss the rest of the camp.”

Gakpo hurt his ankle after a heavy challenge from Sasa Lukic in the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Serbia. Early reports said he could be out for weeks.

The game is Liverpool’s first since the three-week international break. It is also City’s first since they were found guilty of more than 100 charges linked to serious breaches of the league’s financial rules over a nine-season period. 

City boss Enzo Maresca believes the club will win its appeal. “There is an ongoing process and in this moment I completely trust the club,” he said. “There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I’m very happy to be here and I’m very proud. I’ve said that from day one.”

He added: “Me and the players, we can only control the football side.”