.JPG?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Cody Gakpo 'set for several weeks out with knee injury'")
Liverpool attacker Cody Gakpo is reportedly facing several weeks on the sidelines with the knee injury he sustained in Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Netherlands international went down in pain immediately after scoring his side's equaliser in North London and was replaced by Diogo Jota for the second 45 minutes.
Gakpo had been the victim of a tackle from behind from Destiny Udogie just before firing past Guglielmo Vicario, and Klopp had no positive news to share on the Dutchman's condition after the match.
The Reds boss revealed that Gakpo left the stadium with his leg in a brace, and when asked if the attacker's problem was a bad one, the German replied: "Possibly".
Now, Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink has claimed that Gakpo will likely spend several weeks recuperating from the problem, although he could return in a "few weeks" if his recovery goes better than expected.
Cody Gakpo ligt er naar verwachting meerdere weken uit bij Liverpool. Als het meevalt een paar weken. De Oranje-duels in oktober lijken op dit moment sowieso niet haalbaar voor de oud PSV'er.
— Rik Elfrink (@RikElfrink) October 1, 2023
As a result, Gakpo could miss a hectic period of fixtures for Liverpool, who resume their quest for Europa League glory at home to Belgian outfit Union SG on Thursday, three days before battling Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
The Reds also have a Merseyside derby with Everton on October 21 to come, and fixtures with Nottingham Forest (October 29), Luton Town (November 5) and Brentford (November 12) in the Premier League will seemingly come too soon for Gakpo.
In addition, the 24-year-old should also be unavailable for Liverpool's Europa League matchday three clash with Toulouse on October 26, as well as their EFL Cup fourth-round tie with Bournemouth on November 1.
However, Gakpo could potentially come back into contention for a crunch clash with Manchester City at the Etihad on November 25, as he aims to build on a relatively unspectacular start to his Reds career.
The Dutchman's effort against Spurs was just his third goal of the season in all tournaments, while he has 10 goals and three assists to boast in 34 matches since joining from PSV Eindhoven in January.
© Reuters
Following Gakpo's withdrawal on Saturday, his replacement Jota lasted just 24 minutes before being sent off for a pair of bookable offences, having been adjudged to have fouled Udogie on two separate occasions.
Jota was given his marching orders after Curtis Jones was made to take the walk of shame in the first half, having caught Yves Bissouma with his studs as his foot rolled over the ball.
Both Jota and Jones are now set to serve suspensions against Brighton at the weekend, but the pair will be available to face Union SG in the Europa League in three days' time, where Darwin Nunez could also return to the XI after a small bone issue prevented him from starting against Spurs.
Thiago Alcantara (hip) and Stefan Bajcetic (calf) are also out of contention for the time being, while Alexis Mac Allister is reportedly at risk of an FA charge over a social media comment about his side's loss to Spurs, where Luis Diaz also had a goal wrongfully disallowed for offside.
The Argentine suggested that Tottenham had 12 men on the field in a reply to Cristian Romero's celebratory social media post and could supposedly land himself in hot water for questioning the integrity of referee Simon Hooper.
Ben Knapton
