Andoni Iraola has provided Liverpool supporters with an encouraging update on the fitness of both Bradley Barcola and Cody Gakpo ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Fulham at Anfield, confirming that the club’s record signing suffered nothing more serious than cramp during his full debut against Atletico Madrid in midweek, while leaving the door open for Gakpo’s return depending on how the Dutchman comes through a final training session on Friday afternoon. Speaking at his pre-match press conference at the AXA Training Centre, the Liverpool head coach worked through the latest state of his squad ahead of what remains a hugely significant early-season fixture, with the Reds looking to build on their midweek Champions League victory and continue their climb up the Premier League table.
Barcola’s fitness had been a source of some concern among supporters after the £123 million signing was withdrawn on the hour mark during Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid, appearing to be in some discomfort as he made his way off the pitch. The France international, who arrived at Anfield from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer in one of the marquee deals of the transfer window, was making his full debut for his new club having previously come off the bench, and the sight of him struggling physically so soon into his Liverpool career inevitably raised fears of a fresh injury setback for a squad that has already had to contend with a number of fitness issues in the early weeks of the season. Iraola, however, was quick to play down those concerns both immediately after the match and again in his Friday press conference, explaining plainly that Barcola’s issue had been cramp rather than anything more serious, and stating that the winger should be available for selection against Fulham provided everything progresses normally through the club’s final assessment.
Gakpo’s situation carries a touch more uncertainty attached to it, though Iraola’s tone remained broadly positive when discussing the forward’s prospects of involvement this weekend. The Dutchman missed the midweek Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid entirely, dropping out of the starting lineup and not even making the substitutes’ bench, after picking up what Iraola described as an adductor issue during Liverpool’s earlier fixture at Ipswich. Speaking to Steven Gerrard as part of TNT Sports’ pre-match coverage of the Atletico game, Iraola had explained that the decision to leave Gakpo out entirely was a precautionary one, noting that the issue affected both sides and was not a specific or serious problem, but that the club preferred not to risk him given the demands of a Champions League fixture. That cautious approach appears to have been vindicated in the days since, with Iraola indicating in his Friday press conference that Gakpo would attempt to train later that afternoon, with a final decision on his involvement against Fulham to be made based on how he responds to that session.
The broader context of Liverpool’s current injury situation extends beyond just Barcola and Gakpo, with Iraola also providing updates on several other members of his squad during Friday’s press conference. Centre-back Joe Gomez, who has yet to feature for the club at all this season, has returned to training in recent days, offering a welcome boost to Liverpool’s defensive options as the campaign progresses. Elsewhere, both Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Leoni are expected to be back in contention during the upcoming September international break, which follows next weekend’s away trip to Bournemouth, giving Iraola further encouraging news on the recovery timelines of players who have been unavailable in the opening weeks of the season. Less positive, however, is the outlook for Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike, both of whom remain long-term absentees according to Iraola’s latest assessment, with the head coach indicating that a return to first-team action could still be some months away for either player.
Barcola’s own early impact at Liverpool has been a source of considerable encouragement for Iraola despite the limited minutes he has so far accumulated since his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain. Reflecting on the winger’s performances to date, Iraola highlighted his instinct for arriving in dangerous positions inside the penalty area, pointing out that Barcola had already gone through on goal against the opposing goalkeeper on two separate occasions despite having played a relatively modest number of minutes for his new club. That kind of immediate goal-threat is precisely the quality Liverpool will have been hoping to add to their attacking options when sanctioning such a significant financial outlay to bring the France international to Anfield, and Iraola’s evident satisfaction with what he has seen so far suggests the club’s recruitment staff have identified exactly the right profile of player to strengthen their forward line.
There was also a moment of levity in Iraola’s press conference when discussing the circumstances of Barcola’s withdrawal against Atletico Madrid, with the Liverpool boss explaining his general philosophy toward substitutions in matches of that nature. Rather than viewing a player needing to be withdrawn through fatigue or cramp as any kind of negative reflection on that individual, Iraola indicated that he actively prefers his players to give absolutely everything they have during a match, to the point where a substitution becomes a natural and necessary consequence of having emptied the tank completely, rather than being withdrawn prematurely due to a perceived lack of effort. That philosophy was echoed by the fact that Milos Kerkez also required substitution due to cramp during the same fixture, suggesting the intensity Liverpool’s players were asked to produce against a strong Atletico Madrid side in the Champions League opener took a physical toll across multiple positions on the pitch, rather than being an isolated issue specific to Barcola alone.
For Liverpool supporters, the overall picture painted by Iraola’s Friday update is one of cautious optimism rather than any serious cause for alarm, with the club’s two most talked-about fitness situations both trending in a positive direction as the weekend approaches. Barcola’s return looks close to certain barring any complications in the final stages of the club’s assessment process, while Gakpo’s involvement, though slightly less assured, remains a realistic possibility depending on how he responds to Friday’s training session. Should both forwards prove unavailable, Iraola would find himself somewhat light on specialist wide options for the visit of Fulham, making the positive tone of his update all the more significant for a Liverpool side looking to continue their strong start to the season and maintain momentum following their midweek Champions League victory.
As Liverpool prepare to welcome Fulham to Anfield on Saturday afternoon, the return of Barcola in particular would represent a significant boost, offering Iraola the chance to build further continuity around his marquee summer signing following a full debut that, cramp aside, provided plenty of encouraging signs about the quality and directness he can bring to the side. Gakpo’s potential involvement would add further attacking firepower and squad depth to a Liverpool team that will be eager to maintain their positive early-season form as they continue their climb up the Premier League table, with Iraola’s calm and measured handling of both situations offering reassurance that neither issue is expected to develop into anything more serious in the days ahead.
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