Andoni Iraola has confirmed that Liverpool will be without Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak for their Premier League clash with Manchester City on Sunday. The attacking duo picked up injuries while on international duty with the Netherlands and Sweden respectively.
Injury details revealed
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Iraola said: 'Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game. They are not ready. Unfortunately for us both got injuries during the international break.'
The pair have started the season impressively, combining for five goals and three assists in Liverpool's first five league matches. Iraola explained the nature of each injury: 'Cody has an ankle injury, has had some before in his career, and it's a matter of him dealing with the pain. It was a really bad tackle and he's doing things individually but he will not be ready for Sunday.'
'Alex has a thigh injury, it's a small injury but it's a muscle injury. They don't look long-term, and we will be analysising day to day, but not for Sunday.'
Koumas in contention
Asked whether young forward Lewis Koumas could start in place of the injured duo, Iraola responded: 'I think Koumas has our trust. I don't think it's a big surprise. I've always liked the player; he has already shown in important minutes that he's ready to go. And we have also other players who can cover the positions and now we will need to take decisions.'
Positive news for Liverpool
There was some positive news for Liverpool, though, with Iraola confirming that Jeremy Jacquet is fit after missing France's final game of the international break versus Belgium. 'Yeah, he's fit. He's ready to,' Iraola said. 'I think he didn't play with the national team last game because of protection, but he should be fine. Still, we need to train tomorrow, but he's fine, yes.'
