Liverpool faced with double injury scare ahead of Man City clash

Liverpool faced with double injury scare ahead of Man City clash Liverpool injury news: Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo concerns ahead of Man City clash Liverpool have come out of the first international window of the season with a familiar problem, momentum interrupted by fitness doubts. The 1-0 win over Bournemouth before the break kept Andoni Iraola unbeaten and maintained a strong opening to the campaign, but the bigger issue now is availability, not form. The headline concern is Alexander Isak. The striker scored the winner against Bournemouth, then found the net again for Sweden before pulling out of the remainder of the international camp. For a side preparing to face a Manchester City team that has won every league game so far, that is bad timing. The good news for Liverpool is that the injury does not sound serious. The bad news is that these things are rarely settled by optimism alone. Then there is Cody Gakpo, who was forced off during the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Serbia. He tried to carry on after a strong challenge from Sasa Lukic, then asked to come off. That usually tells you enough. Players do not remove themselves in the first half unless there is a genuine problem. Photo: IMAGO Alexander Isak fitness latest Isak has returned to Liverpool for assessment after Sweden confirmed a thigh issue. There was no attempt to dress it up as a major injury, and that matters. If the club is lucky, this is a short-term muscle complaint that responds well to treatment during the extra days before Manchester City arrive at Anfield. His Sweden manager explained the situation clearly: “He’s got a small problem with his thigh,” Potter said during the pre-match press conference ahead of Sweden’s clash with Poland. “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. “Not a big one but it’s frustrating for him and obviously for us. It is what it is but we move forward with the players we have. “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 as the 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, not quite what you think. “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. “Our medical team has been in contact with the club. Obviously it’s our decision in the first place because of his status, in terms of his injury. Once that’s the case, we have to inform everybody. That’s just normal. “We’ve got a really big squad that we believe in. Clearly there’s not another Alexander Isak, that’s obvious. “In an ideal world, we want all our players available but the reality is we don’t have Alex for this game… clearly whoever comes in, we’re not going to ask them to be Alex. They just need to be themselves in the best way they can.” That sounds like a player who has avoided a serious setback, but the phrase “race against the clock” still applies. Liverpool will want him ready for October 11. Whether he starts, or simply makes the bench, may depend on how much work he can do in the days leading up to kick-off. Potential return date: Sunday October 11, vs Man City (H) Cody Gakpo ankle concern grows Gakpo has been one of Liverpool’s sharpest attackers so far this season, and there is no point pretending otherwise. He has looked direct, productive and dangerous. That is why his injury concern matters almost as much as Isak’s. He had already made an impact during the break by scoring a late equaliser against Germany. Against Serbia, the pattern changed. After taking a heavy tackle from Lukic, he attempted to continue before signalling that he could not. Ankle injuries are awkward because the spectrum is wide. It can be a kick that settles in days, or a twist that lingers for weeks. At this stage, Liverpool are waiting on the severity. There is no confirmed timeframe, which usually means the medical staff are still assessing swelling and stability before making a call. For Iraola, that uncertainty is the problem. If Gakpo is fit, Liverpool have one of their most in-form forwards available for Manchester City. If he is not, the manager has to start adjusting the attack now. Potential return date: Not yet confirmed Long-term Liverpool injury list The longer-term cases are clearer, even if they are no less frustrating. Hugo Ekitike remains out after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in April during the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Achilles injuries are serious, and Liverpool have been careful. The encouraging part is that he has started sharing clips of ball work again. That does not mean he is close, but it means the recovery is moving. Iraola included him in the Champions League league phase squad, which points to a degree of internal hope that he could feature in January. That would line up with the original estimate. Potential return date: January 2027 Conor Bradley is also still working back after surgery on bone and ligament damage in his left knee. Iraola’s update was blunt enough: “He is not close to training with the team. He is training alone but he has started touching the ball. We want him back as soon as possible. “He has a road a little bit ahead of him and it is going to take some time. “I think [Giovanni] Leoni is a little bit ahead of him and still it’s going to take some time for Conor, yes.” That tells you where Bradley stands. Individual work, some ball contact, no team training, no immediate return. Potential return date: November or December Federico Chiesa remains another player waiting for his first competitive appearance under Iraola. A back muscle issue suffered in pre-season has kept him out of the first seven games. The timing of the international break may help him more than anyone else in the squad. Two extra weeks on the training ground can change a lot for a player carrying a minor muscle problem. Potential return date: Sunday October 11, vs Man City (H) Giovanni Leoni, signed from Parma for £26 million, continues his recovery from the ACL tear suffered on his first Anfield appearance against Southampton in the Carabao Cup. There is finally some encouragement here. Iraola has suggested he is ahead of Bradley, which leaves the door open to a return before the end of autumn. Potential return date: November