Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has made an early return to the club from international duty as the latest player to suffer with an injury concern while representing their nation.
Cody Gakpo of Netherlands talks to referee Szymon Marciniak during the UEFA Nations League match between Serbia and Netherlands
Cody Gakpo is another injury scare for Liverpool during the international break(Image: (Photo by Dijks Media/MB Media/Getty Images))
The Netherlands national team has announced the early withdrawal of Cody Gakpo from international duty, with the winger now returning to Liverpool for further assessment.
Gakpo, 27, suffered an ankle injury in his nation's clash with Serbia on Sunday, landing awkwardly after a challenge from an opposition defender that appeared to cause some unnatural motion to his standing leg.
The forward couldn't continue, having to be substituted after just 17 minutes, causing plenty of concern about his availability for the coming weeks.
With that in mind, it seems as though the Reds may have some waiting to do for the star to return. Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink reports that after a scan on Monday, Gakpo is set to miss out on "several weeks" of action, with some rest needed to recover before he will be available once again.
While it's unclear exactly how long that could be, as well as the extent of the damage done, it means the international star will miss out on the remaining two games of the international break for the Netherlands, against Greece and Serbia, while he will be a doubt for Liverpool 's return to action against Manchester City in just under two weeks.
That comes as quite the blow to both the player and Andoni Iraola, after an excellent start to the season. The Reds talisman has two goals and four assists to his name across all competitions this season, going at a rate of one goal involvement for every appearance he has made.
It's quite the impressive uptick in form for Gakpo, who was heavily linked with an exit to the likes of Tottenham and Manchester City in the summer, which never fully materialized.
The spell on the sidelines now means Iraola will have to look for other options across his frontline as a replacement, with Bradley Barcola likely to be the go-to option on the left, while the right flank will be a battle between Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz.
Cody Gakpo of Holland leaving the pitch with a injury during the UEFA Nations league match between Serbia v Holland
Cody Gakpo is a fresh injury doubt for Liverpool(Image: (Photo by Roy Lazet/Soccrates/Getty Images))
Gakpo is the second Liverpool player to withdraw from the international break early through injury, with Alexander Isak suffering from a similar fate with Sweden.
The striker left the national team due to a thigh issue, though that was described as a "minor injury", which gives some hope that he will be available for the meeting with Man City next weekend.
For Iraola, it all adds some possible concern over the depth of the squad at his disposal, with nine games in quick succession coming up for the Reds across all competitions between now and the next international break in November.
The manager's intense playing style will need players to be fresh, and possible injury absences will not only impact the quality available to the coach, but the chance of others being injured from playing so many games in the place of those who are already out.
It sets up a nervous wait for Liverpool, with many players still having at least two games left in the international break before they make their return to Merseyside.