Eight absentees set Liverpool and Fulham up for injury test at Anfield
Eight players will miss the Anfield showdown as Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa returns to his former club, Liverpool, which is currently riding a surge under Iraola. The Merseyside side face a depleted squad while Fulham arrive desperate for a positive result after three Premier League defeats.
Comments Sport Amie Wilson Sports writer and Patrick Austen-Hardy Senior Journalist 19:14, 11 Sep 2026 View 2 Images. Image: Justin Setterfield, Getty Images. OUR LIVERPOOL fans will note the recent 2‑0 win over Ipswich Town and the 2‑1 Champions League victory against Atletico Madrid, signalling growing momentum.
Liverpool's injury list
The primary concern is forward Cody Gakpo, who missed the Atletico win and will undergo a late fitness test. Iraola said, “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.” If Gakpo is unavailable, defender Joe Gomez, still out from a pre‑season injury, will also miss out. Federico Chiesa is sidelined with a muscle problem, while Giovani Leoni, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike continue long‑term rehabilitation. Summer signing Bradley Barcola, who suffered a cramp against Atletico, is expected to be fit, with Iraola noting there is “no injury” and he should be available if everything goes normal.
Fulham's limited concerns
Fulham have only two confirmed absences: captain Tom Cairney, recovering from a minor knee procedure, and young striker Jonah Kusi‑Asare, who has not featured this season after a knee injury last year and has made ten first‑team appearances overall.
The club have lost all three Premier League games, falling to Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, and Alvaro Arbeloa, a former Reds defender, arrives in Merseyside desperate for a turnaround.
Arbeloa, who knows Iraola from their time together in Spain and La Liga, said, “I played with Andoni in the national team, we faced each other many, many times in La Liga. I know him very, very well… he is an amazing coach and it will be difficult for us tomorrow.”
The injury toll means both sides will field heavily altered line‑ups at Anfield, setting up a tightly contested encounter despite Fulham’s scarcity of points.