Liverpool Face Attacking Crisis as Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo Suffer International Injuries Ahead of Brutal October Schedule

Liverpool’s most productive attacking partnership has been compromised just days before the club enters the most congested stretch of its season. Striker Alexander Isak withdrew from Sweden’s UEFA Nations League camp with a thigh injury, while forward Cody Gakpo sustained an ankle problem playing for the Netherlands, leaving manager Andoni Iraola scrambling to reconfigure his front line ahead of nine matches in 29 days.

The dual setbacks arrive at the worst possible moment for a team that has relied almost entirely on these two players for Premier League production. Between them, Isak and Gakpo have scored five of Liverpool’s seven league goals this season. Gakpo has also provided four assists across all competitions, three of which set up Isak directly. Losing either player would test Liverpool’s depth; losing both simultaneously threatens to derail the momentum Iraola has built since replacing Arne Slot in the summer.

Sweden head coach Graham Potter confirmed Isak’s withdrawal before his side’s 3-1 victory over Poland on Monday, acknowledging the absence of a direct replacement. “Clearly there’s not another Alexander Isak, that’s obvious,” Potter said. “In an ideal world, we want all our players available, but the reality is we don’t have Alex for this game.”

Gakpo’s situation remains under evaluation. The Dutch forward was forced off during Sunday’s match against Serbia following a heavy challenge by midfielder Saša Lukić. Netherlands manager Xavi Simons offered limited clarity post-match, noting only that the issue involved Gakpo’s ankle and that further assessment was required. There has been no official timeline for his return.

The timing amplifies the stakes considerably. Liverpool resumes domestic play on Oct. 11 when Manchester City visits Anfield. From that point through early November, the fixture list includes top-four Premier League rivals, Champions League group stage commitments, and a Carabao Cup tie against Chelsea. The schedule demands rotation, yet Iraola now faces the prospect of rotating without his two most reliable offensive threats.

Isak’s injury interrupts what had become a definitive turnaround after a bruising debut campaign. The 27-year-old arrived from Newcastle United in the summer of 2025 for a British-record £125 million transfer fee, but spent much of last season battling poor fitness and a fractured leg that restricted him to just eight Premier League starts and three league goals. He failed to complete 90 minutes in any of those appearances and registered only 179 total touches across 14 league matches.

This season tells a different story. Isak has started all five of Liverpool’s Premier League matches, completed the full 90 minutes three times, and already surpassed his entire previous league goal tally with four strikes. His involvement in build-up play has surged, recording 120 touches in five games — including 23 inside the penalty area, approaching the 30 he managed across the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign. His stoppage-time winner against AFC Bournemouth on Sept. 20, followed by a yellow-card-inducing celebration with traveling supporters at the Vitality Stadium, signaled a psychological shift for a player who previously maintained a notably detached demeanor on the pitch.

Iraola’s tactical framework appears central to this revival. Known for developing attacking talent during his tenure in Spain and the Premier League, the Basque manager has emphasized collective defensive responsibility and positional discipline over individual output metrics. “My demands with Alex will not be about the goals, probably,” Iraola said following Isak’s brace against Ipswich Town earlier this month. “It will be about other things… if we play well, we are in good positions, the goals will come.”

That philosophy aligns with traits identified by coaches who worked with Isak long before his record-breaking move to Merseyside. Peter Wennberg, who coached the striker at boyhood club AIK in Stockholm, recalled an incident when Isak was 16 that demonstrated his self-directed mentality. After initially greeting coaches passively upon arriving at training, Isak was challenged to take ownership of his development. “The next time he came to training, he came to us directly and said ‘hey coaches, what have you got planned for me today?'” Wennberg said. “He is driving his future. He is not letting his destiny be in anyone else’s hands.”

Gakpo’s resurgence has been equally vital to Liverpool’s early-season architecture. Despite intense speculation linking him to Manchester City late in the summer transfer window, the 27-year-old remained at Anfield and immediately elevated his performances. His understanding with Isak has functioned as the primary mechanism for Liverpool’s chance creation, a dynamic Isak publicly credited before the Bournemouth trip. “He’s assisted all of my goals,” Isak told BBC Sport. “He’s a humble, good guy. I’m pleased, we all are pleased that he stayed.”

Should medical assessments confirm extended absences for either or both attackers, Iraola must turn to a supporting cast still finding its footing in English football. Summer signing Bradley Barcola represents the most expensive alternative. Acquired from Paris Saint-Germain for £106 million late in the transfer window, the France international has been gradually building match fitness rather than starting regularly. Víctor Muñoz, signed from Osasuna, has shown technical promise but remains acclimating to the physical demands of the Premier League. Eighteen-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha has yet to register a goal or assist at the senior level this term.

A more radical tactical adjustment could involve deploying Florian Wirtz higher up the pitch. Signed to operate as a traditional No. 10, the German midfielder has faced scrutiny over inconsistent displays in deeper roles. Utilizing him as a false nine could inject dynamism into the attack, though it would fundamentally alter Liverpool’s midfield structure during a period when stability is paramount.

Iraola acknowledged the severity of the upcoming calendar before players departed for international duty. “We are playing against top-four teams and then in between Champions League and then in between Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and everything in two, three days,” he said. “This next month, after this break, it’s going be very demanding for us.”

Liverpool’s medical staff is conducting detailed assessments on both Isak and Gakpo at the club’s AXA Training Centre in Kirkby this week, with preliminary findings expected to dictate squad selection for the Manchester City fixture.