ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Cody Gakpo suffered an ankle injury during a Sunday match for the Netherlands.
- Liverpool and the Netherlands await medical updates to determine the full extent of the damage.
- The forward's immediate availability for upcoming club and international fixtures remains uncertain.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Cody Gakpo’s ankle injury is more than a setback — it exposes Liverpool’s over-reliance on a single outlet for creativity in wide areas. When he is fit, Gakpo provides the direct thrust that unlocks low blocks, cutting inside from the left to combine with Salah or arrive late in the box. Without him, the team defaults to predictable full-back overloads and long balls to Nunez, a plan that lacks the variation needed to break down organised defences in tight games.
Slot cannot simply shift Salah wide and expect the same effect; the Egyptian thrives when he can drift inside and combine with a number eight, not when isolated on the touchline. The absence of Gakpo forces a tactical compromise that diminishes Liverpool’s ability to control transitions against mid-table sides sitting deep. The immediate test is how the team adapts in training this week — whether Slot experiments with Szoboszlai higher up the left or gives Chiesa minutes to restore some of the vertical threat lost with Gakpo sidelined.
WHY IT MATTERS
Gakpo’s availability is critical for both Liverpool’s domestic campaign and the Netherlands’ international schedule. Prolonged absence would weaken attacking depth and force tactical adjustments for both squads.
TACTICAL FIT
His absence would limit Liverpool’s width and pressing intensity in advanced areas. The team may need to rely more heavily on central creativity or alter their front-line formation to compensate for his missing dynamism.
THE DEBATE
Should Liverpool prioritize Gakpo’s recovery over immediate squad depth?
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Xavi reveals trip to Liverpool to speak to Van Dijk (0:58)
- ESPN
Multiple Authors
Sep 27, 2026, 06:32 PM ET
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The Netherlands and Liverpool must wait to discover the extent of an ankle injury suffered by forward Cody Gakpo on Sunday.
Gakpo lasted just 17 minutes of the Netherlands' 2-1UEFA Nations Leaguewin in Serbia before having to be substituted as a result of a hard tackle minutes earlier.
"It's his ankle, that's all I know," Netherlands boss Xavi Hernández said. "Tomorrow we will know, but hopefully it's not too important."
Cody Gakpo was forced off with an injury in the Netherlands' win over Serbia.MARCEL TER BALS / ANP via Getty Images
Gakpo had scored in the Netherlands' 1-1 draw with Germany on Thursday in what was Xavi's first match in charge. The Dutch will next visit Greece on Thursday before hosting Serbia on Oct. 4.
The news will be of particular concern to Liverpool, after the revelation earlier on Sunday that another forward, Alexander Isak, was set to return to the club after suffering an injury while on international duty with Sweden.
A statement on Liverpool's website read: "Alexander Isak is to return to Liverpool from international duty due to a minor injury.
"The striker will not be involved in Sweden's three remaining fixtures in the current international break and will now be assessed by club medical staff at the AXA Training Centre."
Both Gakpo and Isak have made strong starts to the season and Liverpool will hope to have both of them fit for their next Premier League game against Manchester City on Oct. 11.
AI-assisted · generated from ESPN FC reporting, not editor reviewed
