Cody Gakpo was a notable absentee from Liverpool’s training session on Tuesday, missing the workout at the AXA Training Centre as Andoni Iraola’s side prepared to host Atletico Madrid at Anfield in their opening Champions League league-phase fixture on Wednesday
The Dutch forward felt tightness in a muscle ahead of the session and was withdrawn as a result, though reporting consistently frames the issue as precautionary rather than serious. Journalist Paul Joyce described the absence as simply “a precaution,” and while Gakpo is now considered “a serious doubt” for the Atletico match by some outlets, there’s no suggestion at this stage of a significant or long-term problem.
The timing is unfortunate given how well Gakpo has been playing. He’s started the season in excellent form, forging a productive partnership with new signing Alexander Isak and already contributing one goal and three assists in the early weeks of the campaign. Losing him, even for a single fixture, would represent a genuine blow to Iraola’s attacking options against a Champions League opponent of Atletico’
Gakpo’s absence needs to be viewed within Liverpool’s broader injury picture heading into the game. There was better news elsewhere: defender Joe Gomez took part in the open training session, continuing his recovery from a pre-season muscle injury that kept him out for around a month, and looks close to a first involvement of the campaign. Iraola had already indicated last week that Gomez was “closing in on a return,” while stressing he wouldn’t be rushed back before he’s genuinely ready
Elsewhere, the injury list remains fairly lengthy. Federico Chiesa continues to be sidelined with a back problem and wasn’t included in Liverpool’s submitted Champions League squad for the league phase, a status shared by Wataru Endo, who trained regardless despite his ineligibility for this particular competition. Hugo Ekitike remains a longer-term absentee as he continues his rehabilitation from a serious Achilles injury sustained back in April, and Giovanni Leoni is also unavailable as he nears the final stages of recovering from a knee injury suffered the previous September. Conor Bradley remains sidelined too, though interestingly both he and Ekitike were still registered in Liverpool’s Champions League squad, meaning there’s a chance either could feature in the league phase later in the campaign once fully fit.
Amid the fitness news, there’s also a fresh face waiting for his first appearance in front of the Anfield crowd. Bradley Barcola, Liverpool’s more recent addition, is being talked up by Iraola as ready to feature more prominently, having made his debut off the bench with what Iraola described as around 31 minutes including extra time in a recent match at Ipswich. Asked directly whether Barcola could start against Atletico, Iraola gave a notably positive assessment: “I think he’s ready to play more minutes. He has been training quite normally. The only thing is he hasn’t had the pre-season minutes that normally players have. We have to consider this, but I see him in a really good place. I think he can play more minutes definitely. I don’t see him like limited, no, I see him like a normal player with this circumstance that he hasn’t had a lot of pre-season minutes to build his form.”
Should Barcola start, it could have knock-on implications for the rest of Iraola’s attacking setup — potentially shifting Gakpo, fitness permitting, out to the right in place of Victor Munoz, or alternatively seeing Gakpo rested altogether given the muscle concern, rather than risking a more significant issue by rushing him back to
Gakpo’s fitness news wasn’t the only selection subplot heading into the match. Alexis Mac Allister, who has started Liverpool’s last two matches and who spoke just a day earlier about his frustration at not being offered a new contract, could reportedly make way for Ryan Gravenberch to return to the side — a purely tactical and rotational consideration rather than anything connected to his contract situation, though the timing means the Argentine’s start or omission is likely to draw extra scrutiny given how openly he’s discussed his unhappiness this week.
One predicted Liverpool lineup, based on training patterns and Iraola’s likely selection, has: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Munoz, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak — though that remains speculative rather than confirmed until Iraola names his actual team.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid arrive at Anfield in distinctly underwhelming form themselves, having dropped points in two of their last three matches — a draw at home to Villarreal followed by a heavy 3-0 defeat to Athletic Club. Atletico have confirmed a 24-man travelling squad for the trip to Merseyside, though it notably excludes forward Alexander Sorloth, ruled out through a muscle injury that’s kept him sidelined recently, while winger Arnau Ortiz is unavailable through suspension.
This represents Liverpool’s opening fixture of the third year under UEFA’s revamped Champions League league-phase format, with each club playing eight different opponents across the group stage — four at home, four away — before the top eight automatically advance to the last 16 and the teams ranked ninth through 24th enter an additional knockout playoff round. Liverpool’s remaining league-phase opponents this season include LASK, Villarreal, Fenerbahce, Club Brugge, Porto, Inter Milan, and Lens, making a strong start against Atletico an important marker for a Liverpool side already dealing with a lengthy injury list and a new head coach still finding his feet following Iraola’s summer appointment and Friday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Ipswich Town, his first victory since taking charge.