Liverpool Afternoon Round-Up, Friday 9th October 2026: Iraola Confirms Isak and Gakpo Will Miss Man City Clash

Andoni Iraola faced the press this afternoon ahead of Sunday's huge Anfield clash with Manchester City, and the headline news is that both Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have been officially ruled out through injury (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool Echo) (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo). The head coach also gave an update on Federico Chiesa, while confirming Jeremy Jacquet is fit again after his injury, though he stressed the young defender "still has a long way to go" following his senior France debut (LiverpoolFC.com) (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield). With two forwards unavailable, Iraola said he "trusts" another Liverpool player to step in up front for the weekend (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield), and reports suggest Liverpool and City between them could be missing as many as nine players for the game once Erling Haaland's own situation is factored in (Liverpool.com).

Much of Iraola's press conference also touched on Manchester City's guilty verdict in their long-running financial rules case. He said "uncertainty is not good for anyone" when asked about the wait for any potential punishment, adding that it's "the worst thing" hanging over the build-up (Liverpool.com) (Liverpool.com) (This Is Anfield) (Liverpool Echo) (BBC Sport) (Liverpool.com) (The Guardian). BBC Sport reports that Anfield is expected to give City a hostile reception on Sunday, with banners, flags and bus welcomes planned (BBC Sport), while Manchester United fans are also said to be preparing their own dig at City with a mocking banner before Liverpool even get the chance (Liverpool.com). Elsewhere, Enzo Maresca has spoken about his last contact with former mentor Pep Guardiola ahead of City's later game against Paris Saint-Germain (Liverpool.com).

Away from team news, This Is Anfield's predicted XI piece debates whether Barcola or Wirtz should lead the line without Isak and Gakpo (This Is Anfield). On a lighter note, Virgil van Dijk was pictured poking fun at Freddie Woodman's new haircut at training, telling him to "be careful" (Liverpool.com). Former Liverpool boss Arne Slot has taken up a new role on a UEFA panel, his first job since leaving Anfield (This Is Anfield), and former Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius has revealed his family received death threats following his costly error in the 2018 Champions League final (Liverpool.com). Finally, former academy player Toni Silva has claimed he was treated unfairly by the club, saying he felt he "was much better than Raheem Sterling" (Liverpool Echo), while the Shankly family have welcomed the return of a famous Anfield sign, now on display at a nearby hotel (BBC Sport).

This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.