Liverpool: Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo injury update revealed before Man City clash

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COMMENTSLiverpool duo Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both appear to be in a race against time to prove their fitness in time for this weekend’s high-profile showdown with Manchester City.

The Reds return to Premier League action at Anfield on Sunday following an extended three-week international break, providing the opposition for what will be City’s first game since they were found guilty by an independent commission on all charges related to serious breaches of the league’s financial rules over a nine-season period between 2009/10 and 2017/18.

City deny all the charges against them and have appealed against the verdict.

It has been a tough international break on the injury front for Liverpool, with record signing Isak withdrawing early from the Sweden squad last week with what was described as a minor thigh injury sustained during the 2-1 win over Romania in the Nations League.

Injury doubts: Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak could both miss out when Liverpool face Manchester CityGettyFellow forward Gakpo also pulled out of Netherlands duty with an ankle issue suffered against Serbia, while star summer recruit Jeremy Jacquet sustained a left hamstring strain that caused him to miss France’s 4-1 win over Belgium on Monday night.

That key trio will all now be considered doubts for Sunday’s visit of City to Merseyside, with Iraola – who is due to address the wider media in his pre-match press conference on Friday – providing a concerning update on Isak and Gakpo while speaking to beIN Sports.

“I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries,” the Spaniard 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.”

Liverpool definitely remain without long-term absentees Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley for the return to Premier League action, while Giovanni Leoni is expected to resume full first-team training soon after more than a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee suffered on his debut for the club.

Federico Chiesa has also yet to play for the Reds this season as the result of a lingering back injury picked up during the final friendly of the summer against Como in August.