Cody Gakpo missed the 2-1 victory over Wolves on Sunday and remains a doubt for the trip to Aston Villa on Wednesday night, adding to Liverpool’s injury list.
Arne Slot revealed before the visit of Wolves that Gakpo had picked up a knock in the Merseyside derby, and the winger was subsequently left out of his squad.
That allowed Luis Diaz to start in his natural position on the left, and he scored one and assisted the other in a 2-1 win marked by first-half dominance and a shaky second-half battle.
With Diogo Jota unlikely to start two games in four days and Darwin Nunez not impressing from the bench on Sunday, the hope would be that Gakpo is fit to return against Villa on Wednesday night.
But that is uncertain, with Slot providing an update on his countryman’s fitness in his post-match press conference at Anfield.
“Cody got a knock in the Everton game. A few of us got a knock, but he got an injury from that,” he explained.
“It’s under debate [whether he will be fit for Villa]. It’s fast, Wednesday already, so let’s wait and see. It wasn’t a soft knock!”
According to the Times‘ Paul Joyce, Gakpo’s issue is an ankle injury and the expectation is that it will rule him out against Villa.
That could see Slot turn to Nunez up front at Villa Park with Diaz and Mohamed Salah retained on the wings, though Jota and Federico Chiesa are also options.
With a trip to Man City to come on Sunday, too, the importance of having Gakpo fit for that clash will now be underlined.
Prior to the weekend, Gakpo had not missed a matchday squad for any of the Premier League, Champions League or Carabao Cup, with his only two absent games coming in the FA Cup.
That has been a major boost to Liverpool given he has been one of Slot’s best and most consistent performers, standing as this season’s second-top goalscorer with 16 strikes.
Dealing without his No. 18 will be a test for Slot but also for those called into his place, with it encouraging that Diaz stood up to the challenge when restored to the left flank.
Liverpool will also be without Joe Gomez (hamstring) and Tyler Morton (shoulder) for both games this week but Curtis Jones is back in contention after suspension ruled him out against Wolves.
It remains to be seen if Slot will be in the dugout for the fixtures at Villa or Man City, as he and assistant Sipke Hulshoff await the verdict of an FA charge after their red cards in the Merseyside derby.
