Cody Gakpo Injury Update Ahead of Liverpool vs Fulham

Cody Gakpo remains a major doubt for Liverpool’s meeting with Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham at Anfield, as Andoni Iraola weighs up his attacking options after a bruising midweek win over Atletico Madrid.

Gakpo worry, Barcola boost

Gakpo missed Wednesday night’s 2-1 victory over Atletico with what Iraola described as “adductor issues”, and the Dutch forward is racing the clock to be involved.

“[With] Cody, we will see,” Iraola said at his pre-match press conference. “He didn’t train yesterday. Today, we will try with him and let’s see if he’s ready for tomorrow or we need to wait for the next one.”

The news is brighter on Bradley Barcola. The winger, who impressed on his full debut before being forced off in the second half, is expected to be fit after his scare turned out to be nothing more than cramp.

“Yes, Barcola was just cramps,” Iraola explained. “Obviously he finished tight in the game and then we have to evaluate how things are today – but there’s no injury. He should be available if everything goes normal.”

Defensive returns on the horizon

At the back, Joe Gomez is edging closer to a return after a muscle problem suffered in pre-season. He may come into contention as Liverpool look to build on the momentum of that late win over Atletico, when Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and a young, energetic supporting cast held firm under pressure.

Federico Chiesa is also continuing his recovery, though Iraola will again be without long-term absentees Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni.

Ekitike, sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon, remains a long shot for the coming weeks, but Iraola revealed there is a glimmer of hope for later in the campaign.

“I think it’s difficult with these long-term injuries, I think he’s still far [away],” he admitted. “But we had a meeting with the medical department to analyse when we completed the list for the European games. There is a reasonable chance that he could help us in the last two games of the group stages.

“But it’s still very early to say. It’s very early because it’s a long-term injury and a big part of the rehab he is still to meet. But if we decide to put him there, it is because there is a hope and there is a realistic chance that he could help us in January.”

Arbeloa’s Anfield return

On the opposite bench, Arbeloa walks back into a stadium he knows intimately. The former defender made 98 appearances for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009 and has already returned once as a Real Madrid player. This, though, is different. This time, he brings a Fulham side still searching for their first Premier League points under his command.

“It will be so special,” the Spaniard said. “I went back when I was a Real Madrid player but now it’s my first time as a coach. Anfield will always be a special place for me.

“We have a massive game for us and we have been working really hard this week. We know that we have to improve and we need to adjust some parts of our game.”

Fulham arrive on Merseyside on the back of a 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace, a game that exposed both their attacking promise and defensive fragility. Arbeloa at least expects to travel with a near full-strength squad.

“We have to wait until the last training session,” he said. “But just Tom [Cairney] is currently out injured and we will see after the training session if everyone is ready.”

Cairney’s knee injury leaves him as Fulham’s only anticipated absentee.

Contrasting momentum

Liverpool’s narrow 2-1 win over Atletico on September 9 – with Alisson, Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Barcola, Wirtz, Ngumoha and Isak all involved – offered Iraola a glimpse of the intensity he wants as the season settles into rhythm.

Fulham’s last outing told a different story. Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Charles, Iwobi, Bobb, King, Palacios and Garcia could not prevent Palace from snatching all three points at Craven Cottage, leaving Arbeloa still chasing that first league reward.

Now comes Anfield, the noise, the memories, the pressure. Iraola is juggling fitness calls on Gakpo and others. Arbeloa is hunting for a foothold in the division at a ground that once roared him on.

Something has to give.