Liverpool prepare to host Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, September 12, with team news dominated by fitness concerns over several key attacking options ahead of the 3pm kick-off.
Manager Andoni Iraola addressed concerns surrounding a costly summer arrival, explaining that the £123million signing from Paris Saint-Germain had been battling cramp rather than a more serious issue. "With Bradley, it's about building his physical condition. We don't really know - or we didn't know until now, probably - how much he can play because he hasn't had any minutes in pre-season for PSG," Iraola said. "He played 30 the other day [and] today we had some question marks, how many minutes he can give us and probably now we know."
The comments offer some reassurance that Bradley's recent troubles are related to conditioning rather than a fresh injury, though he remains sidelined for the visit of Fulham. An updated assessment on winger Bradley Barcola is expected closer to kick-off, but his availability out wide is complicated further by a separate fitness question mark hanging over Cody Gakpo, who is considered a major doubt for the fixture.
Should Gakpo fail to prove his fitness in time, the club has options in reserve, with youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz both on standby to step into the attacking unit. Jeremie Frimpong also offers versatility and could be deployed on the right flank if required, giving the manager some flexibility despite the number of players affected.
There was better news at left-back, where Milos Kerkez is expected to be passed fit despite also picking up cramp during the closing stages of Liverpool's recent Champions League fixture. His availability means the same back four could be selected for a third consecutive match, providing a measure of stability at the back amid the uncertainty further forward.
In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are both set to continue as the preferred pairing, with the club expected to rotate that department for the visit of Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup third round next week. Up front, Alexander Isak is set to lead the line once again as he looks to build on his tally of three Premier League goals so far this season.
The club's injury list remains a concern, with Ekitike, Leoni, Bradley and Chiesa all currently unavailable, while Gomez, Kerkez, Barcola and Gakpo are all listed among the doubts heading into the weekend, though Kerkez is expected to feature.
Based on the information available, the predicted Liverpool lineup to face Fulham is: Alisson; Araujo, Jacquet, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Ngumoha, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak.
With so many attacking options touch-and-go, Liverpool's team selection could look markedly different depending on which of Barcola and Gakpo are passed fit in the build-up to kick-off at Anfield. The match represents an opportunity for the hosts to continue their strong recent form, though squad depth will be tested given the volume of players managing knocks and fatigue at this stage of the campaign.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.