Liverpool’s preparations have been complicated by the early returns of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo from international duty, with Jeremy Jacquet also carrying a concern after missing France’s latest outing.
Andoni Iraola has confirmed that Isak and Gakpo are injured, rather than simply being managed cautiously by their national teams. The head coach stopped short of putting a timetable on either player’s availability, leaving Liverpool with major uncertainty in the forward positions and at centre-back.
Three separate problems, one selection issue
The concerns are distinct. Isak left Sweden’s camp with a thigh complaint sustained during the win over Romania. Sweden manager Graham Potter characterised it as a minor issue, explaining that it appeared to be more serious after subsequent checks than it had during the match. That assessment offers some encouragement, but it does not settle whether the striker will be ready immediately.
Gakpo’s problem is less clearly defined. He reportedly took a heavy challenge while playing for the Netherlands against Serbia, attempted to continue and was then substituted after reporting discomfort around his ankle. There has been no firm diagnosis or projected return supplied by Liverpool, making his situation particularly difficult to read.
Jacquet was absent from France’s squad for the victory over Belgium, with the French federation identifying a strain in his left hamstring. Iraola did not address the defender when discussing Isak and Gakpo, which is notable rather than conclusive: it may reflect the timing of the media appearance, but it also means Liverpool have not publicly clarified the severity of a problem affecting a player who has quickly become an important defensive partner for Virgil van Dijk.
The common thread is not that the three injuries are linked, but that they have arrived in areas where Liverpool have limited room for disruption. Isak and Gakpo offer different profiles in the attack, while Jacquet’s absence would affect both personnel and the balance of the back line.
Iraola’s comments reveal the immediate concern
Iraola’s language was measured but direct. He said both attackers had come back from national-team duty injured and that the question was whether they could recover in time to assist the side. That is more guarded than a routine fitness update and suggests the club require further assessment before making any decisions.
The reporting also points to an underlying issue beyond individual availability. Iraola has spoken about trying to make Liverpool more intense and direct without losing control of matches. He highlighted a previous draw at Newcastle as an example of a performance in which transition defending proved costly, before suggesting that more recent displays have brought greater control but less attacking fluency.
That trade-off becomes harder to manage without regular attacking options. If Gakpo is unavailable, Liverpool lose a player described in reports as one of their strongest performers in the early part of the campaign. If Isak is also absent, the question is not merely who starts centrally, but how Iraola preserves threat in behind while still helping the team retain possession and resist counter-attacks.
Longer-term absences sharpen the pressure
The short-term doubts come against a broader injury backdrop. Hugo Ekitike remains out after rupturing an Achilles tendon, removing another senior forward from Iraola’s options. Reports differ somewhat on the likely timing of his comeback. One account places his original recovery window over a lengthy period that would extend well beyond the early part of the season, while separate reports from France suggest he is targeting a return before the year is out after consulting a specialist in the United States.
Those positions are not necessarily impossible to reconcile: a player may set an ambitious target while the medical outlook remains more conservative. But neither report provides confirmation that Ekitike’s rehabilitation has reached a stage where Liverpool can plan around a definitive return date.
Federico Chiesa and Conor Bradley are also recovering from separate issues, while Giovanni Leoni is reported to be nearing a return to full training following a serious knee injury. Even if some of those players are progressing, match fitness and readiness are different questions. A player returning to training does not instantly restore the depth lost by injuries elsewhere.
What Liverpool still need to establish
The next update from Iraola should clarify more than simple availability. Isak’s thigh issue needs a judgement on whether it is a brief reaction to a knock or a muscular risk that requires protection. Gakpo’s ankle requires a diagnosis and an indication of whether pain, swelling or structural damage is involved. Jacquet’s hamstring strain similarly needs context, since hamstring injuries can range from brief absences to problems that demand much more caution.
For now, Liverpool’s problem is uncertainty rather than a confirmed crisis. Yet the combination matters. Iraola is attempting to embed a clearer style after a season in which the squad fell short of expectations, and his own assessment suggests that the team are still searching for the right balance between defensive control and attacking sharpness. Losing two senior forwards and potentially an established centre-back at the same moment would make that process considerably more difficult.