Iraola faces injury crisis and Wirtz dilemma ahead of Manchester City showdown at Anfield

Iraola must find answers before City visit Anfield

Liverpool take on Manchester City at Anfield on Super Sunday as new head coach Andoni Iraola looks to maintain his unbeaten start to his Reds reign. Kick-off is 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports from 4pm.

Injuries force selection headache

The recent international break has not been kind to Iraola, with key men Alexander Isak [thigh], Cody Gakpo [ankle] and Jeremy Jacquet [hamstring] having all returned early to the AXA Training Centre with injury.

"Jeremey has trained yesterday [Thursday] and he is good to go and I expect him to be available," said Iraola in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports. "Cody and Alex have not trained yesterday, we put images of the session yesterday, we are not hiding! We still have a couple of days, but I think it is going to be tough."

The Basque will give a further update on the trio’s fitness in his pre-match press conference on Friday, but at this stage it would be high unlikely to see all three feature at Anfield this weekend, meaning an untimely change of personnel will be required in both defence and attack.

That could lead to a rare start at the back for Joe Gomez, with Ronald Araujo shifting across to partner Virgil van Dijk in the heart of the defence, or vice-versa, or Jeremie Frimpong may get the nod at right back.

Meanwhile, Gakpo and Isak’s absence in attack would be a massive blow, especially given the understanding the duo have developed so far and it would also leave a huge hole to fill in the No 9 role were the Sweden striker to be ruled out after his impressive start to the campaign that has seen him score four times in the Premier League already.

All of which could mean Lewis Koumas, 21, deputising for Isak, with Hugo Ekitike still months away from recovering from his ruptured Achilles.

Demanding schedule to test squad

Liverpool now face a tricky run of seven games in three different competitions over the course of the next three weeks that will test both the players’ fitness levels, as well as Iraola’s own ability to rotate and manage their workloads.

That fixture list includes a daunting trip to take on in-form Brentford, followed by home games with high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion and champions Arsenal in the league, either side of Chelsea visiting Anfield in the League Cup.

"We still have to get ready because the schedule that we have now, it's very difficult," he said. "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. So we have to get ready because this next month, after this break, it's going be very demanding for us."

What to do with Wirtz?

The elephant in Liverpool’s room continues to be £116m signing Florian Wirtz and even more so after the German’s latest anonymous display at Bournemouth just prior to the international break.

"That was one of the poorest I've ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt," said Jamie Carragher of Wirtz’s performance at the Vitality on the Jamie Carragher Podcast. "I think going forward Iraola's got a decision to make here. Wirtz wouldn't be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home, for me, he can't be in the team."

With injuries to Gakpo and Isak, though, Iraola will now need his two other £100m attackers – Wirtz and Bradley Barcola – to shine in order to get a result against City.

Sky Sports News reporter Mark McAdam said: "Liverpool beat off Bayern Munich and Man City to sign Wirtz, he was probably one of the most coveted No 10s in world football at the time and Liverpool have attracted him. So he does not become a bad No 10 overnight, I just think there are some basics there that will need to be sorted – the physicality of the Premier League, the ability to make decisions far quicker than he has ever had to do and what is his best role within that Liverpool side? I'm convinced Iraola will have everything within what they do to find the best in him and that is what he has done historically, he has always found the right role for players."

Midfield balance still evolving

Iraola favours a two-man midfield to both screen the back four, as well as break up opposition attacks while starting their own counters, but this very much remains a work in progress.

Interestingly, it is Ryan Gravenberch – such a key figure under previous head coach Arne Slot – who has been the one to miss out, with the Reds boss favouring a partnership of Alexis Mac Allister, revitalised after a slump last season, and Dominik Szoboszlai as his twin No 6s.

Having conceded twice in each of their opening two Premier League games at Newcastle United and home to Nottingham Forest, Liverpool have since kept three straight clean sheets for the first time since the start of their 2024/25 title-winning campaign as the Basque looks to find the right balance in front of the defence.

"He [Iraola] is still trying to strive for that ideal balance in that Liverpool midfield at times," SSN reporter Vinny O'Connor said on the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. "But with those three clean sheets in the Premier League in the last three games, we are seeing a team that defends the box a lot better and when they get the ball, they get it forward a lot quicker and creating chances as well, which bodes well for the future."

One clear indicator Liverpool’s players are buying into the new manager’s way of playing is they top the Premier League for most sprints [636] after the opening five games, although conversely they are also bottom when it comes to distance covered [551.36km].

Statement win needed

Iraola heads into Sunday’s game having made an unbeaten start to life as Liverpool head coach, making the 44-year-old the first manager not to lose any of his first five league games in charge of Liverpool since Joe Fagan all the way back in September 1983.

However, those opening five top-flight contests have been favourable to the Basque and as we noted earlier, things now start getting harder – starting with the visit of the league leaders this Sunday.