Liverpool FC Morning Briefing: Isak & Gakpo doubts for City

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo were missing from Liverpool’s Thursday training pictures at the AXA Training Centre, and Andoni Iraola has still only said both are injured and that recovery for Sunday is “a matter of if”.

Jeremy Jacquet, who missed France’s game against Belgium with a hamstring strain, did gym work and then trained with the group, according to the Echo’s Paul Gorst. That is photo and reporting evidence, not a club fitness bulletin. Iraola’s pre-Manchester City press conference is today at 1.30pm UK time and the club will stream it live — that is when we should get proper answers.

Sunday: Liverpool v Manchester City

Anfield, Sunday 11 October, 4.30pm UK kick-off, live on Sky Sports. Chris Kavanagh is the referee, with Paul Howard on VAR. Phil Foden is banned for this game, the last match of his three-game suspension. City are top of the table after five league wins.

Araujo: “really happy” at Liverpool

The club has published a new interview with Ronald Araujo in which he says he is “very happy” and “very, very comfortable”, and credits teammates, staff and fans for helping him settle on his season-long loan from Barcelona. He has featured in all seven games under Iraola so far.

Also confirmed yesterday

A bronze replica of Jürgen Klopp’s Spirit of Shankly statue is now on permanent display in the LFC Museum. Academy director Alex Inglethorpe told BBC Sport that Liverpool and Manchester United are in compensation talks over 16-year-old Isaac Konde and that the academy wage structure is under review. Merseyside Police say there will be an “appropriate” major-event policing operation for Sunday, with no extra provisions — Liverpool sources call it “business as usual” despite social-media talk of a fierce City bus greeting. A BBC Sport investigation into Cambodian Adidas suppliers named Liverpool kits among those pictured; that is an industry-wide story and the club did not respond.

Rumour mill

Nothing new from Ornstein, Pearce, Joyce or Romano on a Liverpool deal overnight. The Gilberto Mora “record bid” is still a single-source claim from Mexican television, with a second-hand counterclaim that there has been no official offer — treat it as unconfirmed. Quansah buy-back chatter, Endrick January speculation, Olise “contact” and Truffert links are recycled or weakly sourced. No credible contract, ownership or staffing news.