Cody Gakpo's Fitness Worries Ahead of Fulham Clash
Andoni Iraola is sweating on Cody Gakpo’s fitness as Liverpool prepare to welcome Alvaro Arbeloa back to Anfield in the opposition dugout.
The Dutch forward missed Wednesday night’s win over Atletico Madrid with what Iraola described as “adductor issues” and remains a major doubt for the clash with Fulham. Liverpool will give him every chance to prove his fitness, but time is tight.
“We still need to train,” 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.”
While Gakpo is touch and go, there is better news on Bradley Barcola. The winger, who impressed on his full debut against Atletico before being forced off in the second half, is expected to be available.
“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.”
Liverpool’s injury picture is slowly easing elsewhere. Joe Gomez is closing in on a return after a muscle problem suffered in pre-season, and Federico Chiesa is also continuing his recovery, though neither has yet been fully declared ready.
Some absences, though, are not going away quickly. Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni remain long-term sidelined, with Ekitike still working back from a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“I think it’s difficult with these long-term injuries, I think he’s still far [away],” Iraola admitted. Even so, Liverpool are daring to plan for a late boost in Europe. “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 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.”
Liverpool come into the game off the back of a 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. Iraola will want continuity, but Gakpo’s situation and the fitness checks on others may force late decisions.
Across the technical area, Arbeloa arrives with Fulham still searching for their first Premier League points under his management. His side lost 3-2 at home to Crystal Palace on September 5, with Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson, Charles, Iwobi, Bobb, King, Palacios and Garcia starting.
This trip to Merseyside will be emotional for the Spaniard. He played 98 times for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009 and knows exactly what awaits him when he walks out of the tunnel.
“It will be so special,” Arbeloa 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.”
Team selection, at least, looks relatively straightforward for him. Tom Cairney is expected to be Fulham’s only absentee with a knee injury.
“We have to wait until the last training session,” Arbeloa added. “But just Tom is currently out injured and we will see after the training session if everyone is ready.”
So Arbeloa returns to the ground that once roared him on, this time trying to quieten it. Iraola, meanwhile, waits on medical updates and late tests, hoping his key attacker makes it through in time for a night that already carries enough edge.
