Heading into the 2026-27 season with Hugo Ekitie out long-term with an injury and only Alexander Isak an established senior centre forward option was always going to mean an injury crisis in attack at some point for Liverpool and head coach Andoni Iraola. The question wasn’t ever if, but when.
And when appears to be now. Isak along with left winger and occasional emergency centre forward option Cody Gakpo have both picked up injuries that will now rule them out for at least this Saturday’s big game
against Manchester City, with Iraola asked about rumours of the duo’s status earlier today.
“Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game,” Iraola confirmed at his pre-match press conference. “They are not ready unfortunately. Both were injuries during the international break. As a club manager you are always waiting for the games to end hoping the doctor doesn’t call to give you bad news.”
As for who Iraola will have at his disposal when the Reds meet the Cheaters, there’s promising youngster Lewis Koumas. His work-rate has impressed every time he’s been given a chance, but it would be a lot to ask of a player with three Liverpool appearances to go with a few loan spells in the Championship.
Iraola also noted that Bradley Barcola “can cover three positions up front” and in previous seasons we have seen midfielders Floirian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai fill in as false nine centre forwards on occasion—sometimes even to very good effect—though for now Iraola isn’t going to confirm his exact plan.
“Even before we didn’t have Hugo Ekitike, who I am looking forward to having available,” the manager added. “And soon maybe we will recover but [Federico] Chiesa hasn’t played any minutes. So as a nine we only have Koumas right now, but we have some options with wingers who have played up front.
“We don’t have a lot of time to train with the group now, but it is the same for every team so we cannot use it as an excuse. I had time to watch and analyse but we have to adapt to injuries. Alex and then Cody and now City then Champions League, and with all the games we have to get used to these things.”
