Lewis Koumas could be in line for a full Premier League debut against Man City as Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo remain injury doubts for Liverpool
Alexander Isak of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates Lewis Koumas during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco at Anfield
Alexander Isak of Liverpool celebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates Lewis Koumas during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco at Anfield (Image: 2026 Getty Images)
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Lewis Koumas could potentially find himself on standby to make his full Premier League debut in Liverpool’s return to action against Manchester City on Sunday. The Reds are facing a shortage upfront after Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both withdrew from international duty with injuries during the expanded September/October break.
Both returned to the AXA Training Centre for further medical assessment, with Isak’s injury said to be minor as Sweden boss Graham Potter later revealed he had pulled out of the squad with a thigh issue.
Meanwhile, Gakpo suffered an ankle injury and had to be substituted early in the Netherlands’ victory over Serbia, with reports in his homeland suggesting he is set for a number of weeks on the sidelines.
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Andoni Iraola then confirmed the pair were injury doubts ahead of Sunday's game when speaking to beIN Sports. “I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries,” said the Reds head coach. “Now it's a matter of if they are going to recover in time to help us in the next game or not. But right now they are both injured.”
Neither forward appeared to take part in training on Thursday as the Liverpool squad reported back to the AXA Training Centre following the international break.
The Reds uploaded a series of images throughout the day of the players arriving at the club’s training ground base in Kirkby, working in the gym and then training out on the pitches. And it did not go unnoticed that neither Isak or Gakpo were spotted in any of the pictures.
Federico Chiesa did at least take part in training, having been sidelined since the end of pre-season with an issue of his own, but Hugo Ekitike remains a long-term absentee because of an Achilles injury.
Consequently, it could leave Koumas as Iraola’s only available option who has actually made an appearance at striker so far this season when Liverpool host City.
That does not necessarily mean that the Wales international would automatically be handed a first Premier League start if both Isak and Gakpo are ruled out.
Iraola could look to play Florian Wirtz as a false nine, field the German alongside Dominik Szoboszlai as dual number 10s in the absence of a striker, or field either Bradley Barcola or Rio Ngumoha through the middle.
Alternatively, Chiesa could also be an option - though it would perhaps be a bold decision to throw him straight in from the cold for what will be the Reds’ toughest test under Iraola so far.
Therefore, it can also not be ruled out that the Basque would turn to Koumas if required, with the youngster having made the strongest of impressions on his new boss since returning from a half-season loan spell at Hull City in the summer.
The forward has made five appearances so far this season, with Iraola handing him both his Premier League and Champions League debuts. Meanwhile, Koumas put in a man of the match performance when leading the line in his only start of the campaign so far against Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup.
The 21-year-old also started three times for Wales during the international break against Portugal, Norway and Denmark respectively.
His Liverpool team-mate Calum Scanlon, who is currently on loan at Cardiff City, is not surprised at all by the forward’s rapid rise after seeing him make such an impression on both Iraola and his Wales national team coach, former Reds striker Craig Bellamy.
And having come through the Liverpool academy alongside Koumas, Scanlon is now backing his team-mate to build on his strong start to the campaign - regardless of whether he starts against City or not.
"I know Koumas pretty well," Scanlon told reporters after being quizzed about the Liverpool loanee at a pre-match press conference ahead of Cardiff’s own return to club action against Blackburn Rovers.
"I've been through the youth set-ups with him, Under-18s, U21s, and I've had first-team sessions with him and been on pre-season with him, so he's a player that I know very well.
Calum Scanlon #48 congratulates Lewis Koumas #67 of Liverpool on his goal during the second half of the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at GEODIS Park
Calum Scanlon #48 congratulates Lewis Koumas #67 of Liverpool on his goal during the second half of the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at GEODIS Park (Image: 2026 Bill Barrett/ISI Photos)
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"If you look at his game, how he presses, that relentless [approach], he's always at it. That's always been him, so it comes as no surprise that that's how he's got into the team.
"The manager loves that. He loves counter-pressing, he loves players that work hard, but he also has the attributes to go forward and to be an effective player.
"So there's no surprise for me. He's a top player and I'm sure he's going to have a good season."
Liverpool’s clash with Man City marks the first of nine games in 28 days with Koumas already certain to have been needed during such a period even before Isak and Gakpo were struck down.
A midweek Champions League trip to LASK or Carabao Cup fourth-round tie with Chelsea would have perhaps been more obvious opportunities for his next start for the Reds.
But with injuries now potentially forcing Iraola’s hand, Koumas will no doubt be raring to grab any opportunity with both hands if the Liverpool head coach does turn to him as he looks to build on a promising start to the season.
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