Eight players set to miss Liverpool vs Man City after Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak updates
There are fixtures that feel like business as usual and then there’s Manchester City at Anfield.
For the red side of Merseyside, Sunday’s 4:30pm kick-off carries an edge unlike anything we’ve felt in a long time. The international break dragged on forever, but as domestic football returns, the conversation around the ground isn't just tactical it’s deeply personal.
This is the first time City step onto a football pitch since being hit with the bombshell verdict finding them guilty of 114 breaches of Premier League financial rules.
City are appealing it, of course, but everyone who sat through those agonising one-point title losses in the Klopp eraknows what this means.
We gave everything to reach 97 and 92 points, only to come up short against an outfit operating under a financial cloud. Sunday is our first chance to make our feelings heard, and Anfield is going to be an absolute couldron.
Here is the latest team news and Injury list ahead of the clash.
Manchester City Injury and Suspension list
Enzo Maresca arrives at Anfield with a relatively short injury list, though key selection forced absences remain.
The main relief for City and headache for us comes upfront.
Concerns were raised over Erling Haalandafter he requested to be substituted during Norway's defeat against Portugal during the break.However, speaking in his pre-match press conference,Maresca confirmed the Norwegian striker is fully ready:
"He's good. He went to Marbella, two, three days off, played golf, recovery, and ready for Anfield. He's good. Thank you."
City do have one guaranteed absentee in Phil Foden.The England midfielder sits out the trip to L4 to serve the third and final match of his three-game ban following a straight red card in last month's Manchester derby for lashing out at Bruno Fernandes.
Full-back Nico O'Reilly also remains a major doubt after picking up a knock during England's Nations League clash with Spain, subsequently returning to Manchester early for assessment.
Liverpool’s Injury and Suspension list
While City’s injury list is light, Andoni Iraola has been dealt a nightmare hand by the international break.
Although both sides signed off before the hiatus with wins us edging Bournemouth 1-0 and City beating Sunderland 5-3 Iraola’s press conferencedelivered the exact news every Kopite feared:
"Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo will not play the game,"Iraola revealed."They are not ready. Unfortunately for us, both got injuries during the international break. As a club manager, you are always waiting until the games end, that the doctor doesn't call you and then gives you bad news. But in this case we've been unlucky with Alex and Cody – both of them are injured and they are not going to be involved on Sunday."
The boss expanded on the nature of the injuries, confirming Gakpo is sidelined with an ankle issue:
"Gakpo has an ankle injury, a matter of him dealing with the pain," Iraola explained.
With Isak nursing a thigh injury, Hugo Ekitike out long-term with an Achilles setback, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni both recovering from ACL ruptures, and Federico Chiesa still lacking match fitness, our central forward options have been completely wiped out.
On a brighter note, Iraola dismissed any fitness concerns surrounding defender Jeremy Jacquet following his senior French debut:
"I am happy for him personally, debut with France, that is always tough,"Iraola said."He played well, he should be happy but has a long way to go. He is fit and ready to go. He will be fine."
What It means for Liverpool on Sunday
Going up against Maresca's league leaders without Isak or Gakpo feels like a daunting mountain to climb. But as any Liverpool fan who remembers Brendan Rodgers' strikerless 2-1 win over Pellegrini'sCity in March 2015 will tell you, Anfield does not care about paper form.
City have managed just three Premier League wins in 29 visits to Anfield. There is something about stepping into Merseyside that rattles them every single time. Combined with a Kop armed with 115 reasons to make noise, Iraola’s makeshift attack will have all the fuel it needs to make a point.
