Lewis Koumas could be in line to make his full Premier League debut for Liverpool against Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, with Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo both injured
Lewis Koumas is poised to replace Alexander Isak in attack
Lewis Koumas is poised to replace Alexander Isak in attack(Image: Getty Images)
Lewis Koumas may find himself in contention to make his full Premier League debut when Liverpool resumes action against Manchester City on Sunday.
The Reds are grappling with attacking concerns following the withdrawals of Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo from international duty due to fitness issues during the extended September/October interval. Both players have returned to the AXA Training Centre for additional medical evaluation, with Isak's knock understood to be relatively minor after Sweden manager Graham Potter subsequently disclosed he had withdrawn from the squad with a thigh complaint.
Meanwhile, Gakpo sustained an ankle problem and was forced off early during the Netherlands' triumph over Serbia, with Dutch media reports indicating he faces several weeks out of action.
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Andoni Iraola subsequently confirmed the pair were fitness concerns ahead of Sunday's fixture when addressing beIN Sports. "I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries," the Reds head coach stated. "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 striker was visible during Thursday's training session as the Liverpool squad reconvened at the AXA Training Centre following the international window. The Reds shared numerous photographs throughout the day showing players arriving at the club's Kirkby training ground base, working out in the gym, and then participating in drills on the pitches.
Notably absent from all the imagery were both Isak and Gakpo. Federico Chiesa at least participated in the session, having been unavailable since pre-season concluded due to his own fitness concern, while Hugo Ekitike remains on the sidelines for an extended period with an Achilles problem.
Calum Scanlon played alongside Koumas at Liverpool
Calum Scanlon played alongside Koumas at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
As a result, Koumas could emerge as Iraola's sole available choice, who has actually featured in the striker's role this campaign when Liverpool welcomes City. That doesn't automatically guarantee the Wales international would receive his maiden Premier League starting berth should both Isak and Gakpo be declared unavailable.
Iraola might opt to deploy Florian Wirtz as a false nine, utilize the German alongside Dominik Szoboszlai as twin No. 10s without a recognized striker, or position either Bradley Barcola or Rio Ngumoha centrally. Chiesa represents another possibility — although thrusting him straight back in for what will be the Reds' sternest examination under Iraola thus far would perhaps constitute a gamble.
Consequently, the prospect of the Basque coach turning to Koumas if necessary cannot be discounted, with the youngster having made a remarkable impact on his new manager since completing a half-season loan stint at Hull during the summer. The striker has featured five times this season, with Iraola giving him both his Premier League and Champions League bows.
Meanwhile, Koumas delivered a man-of-the-match display when leading the attack in his sole starting appearance of the campaign thus far against Tottenham in the League Cup. The 21-year-old also featured from the outset three times for Wales during the international window against Portugal, Norway and Denmark respectively.
His Liverpool colleague Calum Scanlon, presently on loan at Cardiff City, isn't remotely surprised by the striker's meteoric progression after witnessing him leave such an impression on both Iraola and his Wales national team manager, former Reds frontman Craig Bellamy. Having progressed through the Liverpool academy structure alongside Koumas, Scanlon is now backing his colleague to capitalize on his impressive start to the season, irrespective of whether he features in the starting XI 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 resumption of club duties against Blackburn.
"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. 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."