Over the weekend, Cody Gakpo was forced off in the 17th minute against Serbia with an ankle injury, and there was some hope and expectation that it would only be a mild strain. If it had been, he would have remained in the Dutch camp with an eye to potentially playing their final game of the international break next weekend.
Following scans today on the injured ankle, though, a decision has been made to return the player to Liverpool.
While no timeline has been set and we will be hoping for positive
news that would signal Gakpo might be available to face Manchester City in two weeks when the Reds face them on October 11th, that he’s returning to the club is likely to mean that there is at least a minor tear to the ankle ligaments. As such, a likely timeline for his return is closer to three weeks.
If that’s the case—and reports from journalists with ties to the Dutch national team suggest it is—it would mean missing the City match and likely the following mid-week Champions League tie against LASK. A return the following weekend against Brentford on October 17th would seem possible assuming the tear is minor.
In his absence there will be more chances for Victor Muñoz and Rio Ngumoha to stake a claim to increased minutes in a front line with Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola.
