Alexander Isak of Liverpool is a doubt for Andoni Iraola this weekend, as the Reds take on Manchester City.
This is the first time that the Citizens will play again in the Premier League, after an independent commission found them guilty of all charges related to breaches of the competition’s financial rules over a nine-year period.
And with Liverpool the obvious victims in a number of those title races, fans are now sweating over the availability of star striker Isak to lead the line.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola rules Alexander Isak out of the Manchester City clash
Isak pulled out of international duty through injury – with Iraola delivering bad news not just on the Swede’s injury, but his potential replacement at centre-forward.
“Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game,” the Basque revealed in his pre-match press conference. “They are not ready.”
“Unfortunately for us, both got injuries during the international break. As a club manager, you are always waiting until the games end, that the doctor doesn’t call you and then gives you bad news. But in this case we’ve been unlucky with Alex and Cody – both of them are injured and they are not going to be involved on Sunday.”
The former Bournemouth gaffer added that Gakpo had suffered an ankle injury, while Isak had picked up a knock to his thigh.
“They both don’t look like long term – we will be analysing day to day,” Iraola said. “But they are not going to arrive on Sunday.”
With Isak having picked up over a dozen injuries since moving to English football and Hugo Ekitike also out with a long-term injury, Iraola may have to resort to using Bradley Barcola as a striker, or throw in Jason Koumas up top.
There is good news for Reds fans, however, in the shape of Jeremy Jacquet, who has been exceptional since arriving at Anfield in the summer and celebrated making his first senior appearances for France over the international break.
“Yeah, he’s fit, he’s ready to go,” Iraola said of the defender. “I think he didn’t play with the national team [in the] last game because of protection.”
Federico Chiesa, meanwhile, is back in training.
Liverpool’s clash against Manchester City this weekend is on this Sunday, as Premier League action resumes after the international break.
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