Cody Gakpo Fitness Update Ahead of Fulham Clash

Andoni Iraola is braced for another anxious wait over Cody Gakpo as Liverpool prepare to welcome Alvaro Arbeloa back to Anfield in the opposition dugout.

The Dutch forward missed Wednesday night’s win over Atletico Madrid with what Iraola described as “adductor issues” and remains a major doubt for the clash with Fulham. Liverpool’s head coach will give Gakpo every chance to prove his fitness, but the clock is ticking.

“We still need to train,” Iraola said at his pre-match press conference. “We train this afternoon, evening… [With] Cody, we will see. He didn’t train yesterday. Today, we will try with him and let’s see if he’s ready for tomorrow or we need to wait for the next one.”

Liverpool’s attacking options, though, are not completely stretched. Bradley Barcola, who cramped up and had to be replaced during the second half of his full debut against Atletico, is expected to be passed fit.

“Barcola was just cramps,” Iraola explained. “Obviously he finished tight in the game and then we have to evaluate how things are today – but there’s no injury. He should be available if everything goes normal.”

There was another glimmer of encouragement for Liverpool at the back. Joe Gomez is closing in on a return after a muscle issue picked up in pre-season, offering extra depth to a defensive unit that has already leaned heavily on Virgil van Dijk and the emerging partnership around him.

Federico Chiesa continues his own rehabilitation and will not be rushed, while a trio of long-term absentees – Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni – remain sidelined.

Ekitike’s situation is the most complex. The forward is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and Iraola struck a careful balance between realism and optimism.

“I think it’s difficult with these long-term injuries, I think he’s still far [away],” he admitted. “But we had a meeting with the medical department to analyse when we completed the list for the European games. There is a reasonable chance that he could help us in the last two games of the group stages.

“But it’s still very early to say. It’s very early because it’s a long-term injury and a big part of the rehab is still to meet. But if we decide to put him there, it is because there is a hope and there is a realistic chance that he could help us in January.”

Liverpool arrive in good spirits after their 2-1 victory over Atletico on September 9, a night when Alisson, Van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai again formed the spine of Iraola’s side, with Florian Wirtz and Barcola adding craft behind Alexander Isak. The performance was not flawless, but it underlined a growing resilience at Anfield.

Fulham's Situation

For Fulham, the picture is clearer – and kinder – on the fitness front. Tom Cairney, sidelined with a knee problem, is expected to be their only absentee for the trip to Merseyside.

“We have to wait until the last training session,” Arbeloa said. “But just Tom is currently out injured and we will see after the training session if everyone is ready.”

Arbeloa’s return to Anfield brings its own storyline. The Spaniard, who made 98 appearances for Liverpool between 2007 and 2009, has yet to collect his first Premier League points as Fulham head coach. Now he walks back into a stadium that once roared for him, this time trying to silence it.

“It will be so special,” he admitted. “I went back when I was a Real Madrid player but now it’s my first time as a coach. Anfield will always be a special place for me.

“We have a massive game for us and we have been working really hard this week. We know that we have to improve and we need to adjust some parts of our game.”

Fulham showed their threat in a frantic 3-2 defeat to Crystal Palace on September 5, with Bernd Leno, Tim Castagne, Joachim Andersen and Antonee Robinson forming the defensive line, and Alex Iwobi, Lewis Dobbin Bobb and others offering energy ahead of them. They created, they scored, they still came away with nothing.

Now comes Anfield, under the lights, against a Liverpool side trying to build momentum and a former Liverpool full-back desperate to spark his own reign into life. Gakpo’s fitness, Barcola’s freshness, Gomez’s readiness, Arbeloa’s emotions – all of it folds into a night that will ask a simple question of both teams: who handles the occasion better?