The September international break has gone from bad to worse for Liverpool, with Cody Gakpo joining Alexander Isak on the injury list.
The Dutch international was the latest star to pick up what appears to be a potentially serious injury during the Netherlands’ Nations League clash with Serbia.
What happened to Cody Gakpo during Serbia vs Netherlands?
Honestly, when are we going to cut footballers’ international commitments?
It’s all well and good if key stars are picking up injuries during the globe’s biggest tournaments… but is there really a case for the Nations League?
Look, it’s a bigger issue than just the Nations League; we get it. Between the domestic cup competitions, 38 Premier League fixtures and Champions League football (and then any potential international ties on top of that), there’s an awful lot of football for Cody Gakpo to be getting on with.
And to be completely fair to the tournament, this would seem to be an issue the Dutchman picked up from a bit of a nasty tackle from Sasa Lukic early on in the first half.
🚨 Gakpo Injury
Serbian midfielder Saša Lukić with a strong sliding tackle. Although he played the ball first, he also caught Gakpo hard afterwards.
Gakpo was limping for the next few minutes and was unable to continue. pic.twitter.com/349FD5upUg https://t.co/gfYIqfXLYS
— Kop Fever (@KopFever) September 27, 2026
At least it’s not a wear-and-tear issue. But it’s never a good sign to see a player struggling to stay on the pitch, is it?
Burn the international breaks, we say.
How long could Liverpool be without injured Gakpo and Isak?
It’s worth emphasising from the off that no one yet knows the severity of the apparent ankle injury Gakpo picked up on Sunday evening.
There’s every chance that Xavi downplays the issue along similar lines to how Graham Potter discussed Alexander Isak’s thigh concern today: “He’s got a small problem with his thigh. It’s not a big one but because of the amount of games we’ve got in a small space of time, he won’t be able to make those.
“Not a big one but it’s frustrating for him and obviously for us. It is what it is but we move forward with the players we have.
“It was during the game. Like anything, you sometimes get bumps and bruises in the game, you might think it’s a bit of a dead leg or something. But actually as the 24 hours, 48 hours after the game, not quite what you think. Unfortunately after getting it checked out, it’s a little bit more than what you think during the match. He has to miss the rest of the camp.”
From the sound of it, it’s possible the Swede may not be in good enough shape to feature heavily against Manchester City after the break – which would be a huge shame given that Andoni Iraola continues to lack the presence of fellow injured striker Hugo Ekitike.
His Dutch teammate, likewise, could be in line to sit out against the Sky Blues at Anfield in a couple of weeks – two absences that would severely harm Liverpool’s capabilities up top.
Horrendous timing, it has to be said. But hopefully, we’ll be hearing some good news on the Cody Gakpo front later this evening.
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