Liverpool vs Fulham: Gakpo's Fitness Uncertain Ahead of Anfield Clash
Andoni Iraola is bracing for another anxious wait over Cody Gakpo as Liverpool prepare to welcome Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham to Anfield.
The Dutch forward sat out Wednesday night’s win over Atletico Madrid with what Iraola labelled “adductor issues”, and his involvement against the Cottagers is still hanging in the balance.
“We still need to train on Friday,” Iraola said in his pre-match press conference. “We train this afternoon, evening… [With] Cody, we will see. 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.”
Barcola boost after full-debut scare
If Gakpo is the major doubt, Bradley Barcola brings a welcome dose of good news.
The winger, who impressed on his full debut in the 2-1 victory over Atletico before being forced off in the second half, is expected to be fit after fears over a potential injury eased quickly.
“Yes, Barcola was just cramps,” Iraola confirmed. “Obviously he finished tight in the game and then we have to evaluate with how are things today – but there’s no injury. He should be available if everything goes normal.”
That will be a relief for Liverpool after Barcola’s sharp, energetic display in midweek, where he started alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Florian Wirtz in a fluid, attacking setup behind Alexander Isak.
Injury picture: Gomez close, Ekitike still a long road
Joe Gomez is edging towards a return after a muscle issue suffered in pre-season. He could rejoin the squad as he nears full fitness, giving Iraola another option in a back line that featured Ronald Araujo, Jarell Quansah Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez against Atletico.
Federico Chiesa is also continuing his own recovery, though he is not yet back in contention.
Long-term absentees Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain out, with Ekitike’s situation still the most delicate after a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“I think it’s difficult with these long-term injuries, I think he’s still far [away],” Iraola admitted. Yet there is a sliver of optimism.
“We had a meeting with the medical department to analyse when we completed the [squad] 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 returns “home” chasing first Premier League points
On the opposite bench, Arbeloa walks back into a stadium he knows intimately, but under very different circumstances.
The Fulham head coach, who made 98 appearances for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, is still hunting his first Premier League points in charge of the Cottagers. His side arrive on Merseyside on the back of a 3-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace, where Bernd Leno, Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey and Antonee Robinson formed the defensive unit, with Luke Harris Charles, Alex Iwobi, Oscar Bobb, King, Palacios and Garcia further forward.
For this trip, his injury list is mercifully short.
“We have to wait until the last training session,” Arbeloa said. “But just Tom [Cairney is currently out injured] and we will see after the training session if everyone is ready.”
Cairney’s knee problem leaves him as Fulham’s only confirmed absentee, giving Arbeloa a near full squad as he plots an upset at a ground that still stirs strong emotions.
“It will be so special,” he said of his Anfield return. “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.”
Anfield edge and early-season stakes
Liverpool’s narrow 2-1 win over Atletico on September 9 – with Alisson behind a back four of Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk and Kerkez, and a front line of Barcola, Wirtz, Ngumoha and Isak – underlined the edge and resilience Iraola is trying to instil.
Fulham, stung by that 3-2 loss to Palace, must tighten up quickly or risk being overrun in a stadium that rarely forgives slow starts.
For Iraola, the decision over Gakpo and the careful management of his returning players could shape the rhythm of Liverpool’s early campaign. For Arbeloa, the search is simpler and more urgent: leave Anfield with his first Premier League points, or walk away still chasing a breakthrough from a place that once felt like home.
