Liverpool have been told by a medical expert that Cody Gakpo will be "lucky" to avoid a spell out with the ankle injury suffered on international duty. The winger started the Netherlands' Nations League clash against Serbia but was forced off after a rough tackle from Ipswich Town's Sasa Lukic.
Gakpo tried to carry on but ultimately could not and was later substituted by Xavi, with scans quickly scheduled for Monday. Those have since taken place with it being claimed back in his home country that he will miss a few weeks.
Expert analysis of the tackle
That is also the verdict of medical expert Physio Scout, who examined the tackle in detail and determined the likely prognosis. The expert said: "Scissor-tackle type mechanism forced Gakpo's ankle into eversion + external rotation. This mechanism raises concern for a syndesmosis/high ankle sprain.
"Scans will need to rule out any lower-leg fractures. Gakpo will be lucky to escape any lengthy time out with the nature of the tackle."
International absence confirmed
It is already known that Gakpo will miss Netherlands' two games against Greece and another versus Serbia over the coming weeks, as confirmed in a statement announcing his early departure. It read: "Take care, Cody. Gakpo won’t be available for the remainder of this international window and will return to Liverpool.
Gakpo joins Alexander Isak in returning to Liverpool earlier than expected with the latter suffering a thigh injury, as confirmed by Graham Potter. He said: "So during the game [vs Romania], he actually, you know, sometimes you get bumps and bruises in the game. You might think it’s a bit of a dead leg or something.
"But actually as the 24/48 hours after the game, [it’s] not quite what you think. Yeah, unfortunately after getting it checked out, it’s a little bit more than what you think during the match. So, yeah he has to miss the rest of the camp. Our medical team have been in contact with the club. They know that obviously it’s our decision in the first place because of his status, you know, in terms of his injury."
Impact on Liverpool
Given the impressive form Gakpo and Isak have shown since the start of the season, having neither fully fit for the visit of Manchester City would be a significant problem for Iraola. Hugo Ekitike is a long-term injury absentee for Liverpool while Federico Chiesa, who can also play in the position, has been absent since the end of pre-season.
