Liverpool hosts Fulham at Anfield on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League, and both managers have given the latest team news ahead of the match
Andoni Iraola has given an injury update on his Liverpool squad.
Andoni Iraola has given an injury update on his Liverpool squad.(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Following midweek glory in the Champions League, Liverpool return to Premier League duties this weekend, welcoming Fulham to Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds head into the fixture in fine spirits, having edged past Atlético Madrid 2-1 in their Champions League opener on Wednesday evening. Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister secured all three points for the Merseysiders.
While Liverpool was in European action, Fulham enjoyed a full week's preparation ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Cottagers are yet to register a victory in the Premier League under new boss Álvaro Arbeloa, having suffered defeats in all three of their opening fixtures.
Liverpool, meanwhile, has recorded one win and two draws from their first three league outings under Andoni Iraola. Both sides will be desperate to claim maximum points and truly ignite their respective campaigns.
Ahead of the clash, both managers have provided the latest updates on their squads.
The primary concern for Liverpool centers on the fitness of Cody Gakpo. The Dutch forward sat out the victory over Atlético and will need to pass a late fitness assessment before the Fulham encounter.
"Cody we will see. He didn't train yesterday," Iraola confirmed. "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."
Should he fail to prove his fitness, he will join defender Joe Gomez on the treatment table. The England international sustained an injury during pre-season and has yet to reintegrate into the first-team squad. While he is edging closer to a comeback, this weekend's fixture may arrive too soon for the player.
Cody Gakpo warms up before the Premier League 2026/27 match between Ipswich Town and Liverpool FC at Portman Road.
Cody Gakpo is an injury worry for Liverpool vs Fulham.(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Federico Chiesa is likewise anticipated to remain unavailable after picking up a muscle injury in the closing stages of pre-season. The timeline for his return remains unclear.
Three further long-term injury absentees will also sit out, with Giovani Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike all continuing their respective rehabilitation programmes.
In an encouraging development for Iraola, he has confirmed that summer acquisition Bradley Barcola is expected to be fit after being withdrawn with cramp during the victory over Atletico. "We still need to train this afternoon. Barcola was just cramps," he said.
"We have to evaluate how he is today, but there's no injury. He should, I think, be available, if everything goes normal."
Fulham has relatively little cause for concern on the injury front, with just two players anticipated to miss the fixture. Club captain Tom Cairney will be absent as he continues his recuperation from a minor knee procedure last month.
Young striker Jonah Kusi-Asare has yet to feature in any matchday squad this season. The forward has made 10 first-team appearances for the club and endured a troublesome knee injury throughout last campaign.
The fixture will pit Arbeloa against Iraola, a familiar face from his time in Spanish football. "I played with Andoni in the national team, and obviously we faced each other many, many times in La Liga," he revealed during his pre-match press conference.
"I know him very, very well.
"I saw him when he was the coach of Mirandés, Rayo Vallecano, and after in Bournemouth, so I know that he's an amazing coach, and I'm not surprised that now he's the coach of Liverpool.
"He has been doing amazing work here in the Premier League, and now in Liverpool you can see they are playing in the style that he's always playing with his teams, and of course it will be so difficult for us tomorrow."