Andoni Iraola could be forced to make a raft of changes to his side against Manchester City as the extended international break takes its toll on his Liverpool players
Jeremy JACQUET of France celebrates with Mike MAIGNAN of France during UEFA Nations League match between France and Belgium at Stade de France on October 5, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Daniel Derajinski/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
Jeremy Jacquet missed France's game against Belgium through an injury(Image: Getty Images)
There’s just one day left of the international break, and Andoni Iraola will be keeping everything crossed that his last batch of Liverpool players can come through it unscathed.
Having gone into the extended break on a high, with the 1-0 win at Bournemouth extending the unbeaten start to the season, the past couple of weeks or so have not been all that kind to the Reds.
Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo were both forced to return home early with injuries, and now Liverpool has doubts over Jeremy Jacquet after the in-form defender was left out of France’s squad completely with what is reported to be a hamstring strain.
It’s not just those injuries Iraola will be worried about, though. Dominik Szoboszlai ended up playing nearly every minute of Hungary’s four games; Ronald Araujo will rack up around 17,000 miles thanks to Uruguay’s tour of Asia; and training will resume just over 24 hours after Alexis Mac Allister plays his last game of the break for Argentina.
Iraola will be sweating as he waits for Araujo, Mac Allister, Rio Ngumoha, and Victor Munoz to play their final games, but it’s already looking as though he will be forced into making changes for the visit of Manchester City on Sunday.
Given the circumstances surrounding the visitors at the moment, any big-name absences might not get much notice elsewhere, but it is absolutely possible that Iraola could end up having to alter his winning side from Bournemouth drastically.
Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Liverpool with assistants Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper during the Premier League 2026/27 match between AFC Bournemouth and Liverpool FC
Andoni Iraola could be forced to make a number of changes against Manchester City(Image: (Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images))
We’ll assume that Szoboszlai will be okay to start despite his huge workload over the international break, but a worst-case scenario could see five changes being made.
With both Isak and Gakpo out, Lewis Koumas would potentially have to be called upon to start up front, while Ngumoha could come in on the right wing.
Araujo would perhaps be the first choice to replace an injured Jacquet, but if he isn’t quite up to speed after his trek across the world, then Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez could be called upon to fill in at right-back and center-back, respectively.
Finally, Mac Allister’s late arrival back from Argentina may lead to him needing more time to recover, meaning Ryan Gravenberch could return in midfield.
Possible Liverpool line-up vs Man City: Alisson; Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Koumas.
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Even in the best-case scenario, it seems certain that Iraola will be forced into at least one change.
Gakpo looks likely to face a spell on the sidelines, with early reports suggesting he could face a few weeks out after injuring his ankle against Serbia.
Hopefully, that turns out to be the only major issue to come from the international break. Although Isak withdrew from Sweden’s squad after just one game, his problem has been described as a “minor” thigh injury, raising hopes that he will recover in time to face City.
Jacquet was seen taking to the pitch to applaud the crowd after France’s win over Belgium on Monday, which is hopefully an indication that his absence from Zinedine Zidane’s squad was more of a precaution than anything more serious.
Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo and Serbia midfielder Sasa Lukic during the UEFA Nations League match between Serbia and the Netherlands at Rajko Mitic Stadion in Belgrade, on September 27, 2026. (Photo by Stefan Koops/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Cody Gakpo looks likely to miss out after picking up an ankle injury(Image: Getty Images)
And, even with Araujo and Mac Allister clocking up the miles, the weekend’s game being on Sunday should hopefully help them both out, and they will have only played three games each as opposed to four like their European teammates.
In that scenario, which Liverpool fans will be hoping is the case, the Reds may only need to find a replacement for Gakpo on the right, with Ngumoha and Munoz likely to fight it out for that position. Nevertheless, there will be a nervous wait before we find out from Iraola what kind of toll the international break has taken on his side.
Best-case scenario Liverpool line-up vs Man City: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak.