Liverpool duo Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have been ruled out of this weekend’s clash with Manchester City due to injury.
The Reds will host City in front of a potentially hostile atmosphere at Anfield this Sunday, as it will be City’s first game since being found guilty of breaking financial rules over a nine-year period.
Andoni Iraola will have to plan without Isak or Gakpo, though, after both attackers returned from the international break with injuries, while Federico Chiesa may not be fit enough to feature either.
With Hugo Ekitike also sidelined by a long-term injury, the Basque native is left with youngster Jason Koumas, Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz as his only options to play in the centre-forward role.
Liverpool dealt double injury blow ahead of Man City clash
“Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game. They are not ready. They both don’t look like long-term,” Iraola told his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“Cody has an ankle injury and it’s a matter of him dealing with the pain. Alex has a thigh injury. It’s not a massive injury, it’s a small injury. Whenever he feels ready.
“Even before that we don’t have Hugo Ekitike, that is another striker I am looking forward to having available.
“We will maybe recover Fede Chiesa but he hasn’t played any minutes as he has been recovering from injury.
“Of the four No.9s, it’s true we probably have only Koumas, but we have some other options, wingers who have played up front in other teams.
“Koumas has our trust. He has already shown in important minutes that he is ready to go.
“We also have other players who can cover the positions. Now we will need to make decisions.”
Barcola has had a relatively slow start to his Liverpool career, but Iraola backs the French winger to deliver in any position across the frontline.
“I don’t think he is in a bad moment,” he said. “I think the problem with wingers or strikers is if they don’t score a goal then they haven’t played well I think we need to see the games [like] the first game against Atletico Madrid he missed a couple chances – I don’t care. I care but I want him to be there.
“I saw with the national team he had a couple of good situations to score and he hasn’t scored but I want him to be there. He is a top player for us and I think he can play in any position up front.”
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