Liverpool forward Gakpo could miss Man City clash, says Slot

Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo could be ruled out for Sunday's crunch against Manchester City in the Premier League. The Dutchman has missed the Reds' last two games against Wolves and Aston Villa due to a knock picked up in the Merseyside derby at Everton but could be ruled out again as Slot could not provide positive updates on the player's fitness conditions.

"I hope [he's available], I'm not 100 per cent sure," Slot said during Thursday's pre-match press conference. "He hasn't trained with the team yet. Maybe he does a bit today. I don't know exactly. It will be a close call." Gakpo's absence could be a big blow for league leaders Liverpool's title charge as Arsenal will be applying pressure until the end of the season.

With the 25-year-old striker, who counts five goal contributions in his last five games, on the sidelines Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez have been unable to fill in upfront. The Uruguayan was heavily criticised for his blunder against Villa, which could have handed Liverpool a precious three points. However, the Reds are not the only ones with problems in attack as Man City could also be without Erling Haaland in attack after Guardiola said the Norwegian's inclusion would be a last-minute decision.

Conor Bradley is also set to miss the trip to the Etihad after he was forced off the pitch with an injury against Unai Emery's side. "I would be completely surprised if he's involved in the Sunday game, or the Wednesday game against Newcastle," Slot said on Bradley. "You can assume that's not going to happen." Defender Joe Gomez will also be unavailable after undergoing surgery to fix a hamstring injury. "He's out for a long time," explained the Netherlands international. "He will be back maybe just before the end of the season."

 

February 22, 2025