The match nobody could stop talking about just got bigger

Six days. Six days until Manchester City arrive at Anfield for what was already going to be one of the most electric atmospheres the ground has seen in years. The international break has felt like an age, and England's 7-0 dismantling of Croatia on Saturday was a welcome distraction, but it's fair to say most Liverpool supporters have had one eye firmly fixed on next Sunday's 4.30pm kick-off from the moment the fixture list dropped.

The context surrounding this one is extraordinary. City's visit comes in the immediate aftermath of the bombshell verdict finding them guilty of the majority of the 115 Premier League charges levelled against them. They maintain their innocence and have lodged an appeal, but the weight of that ruling will hang over everything. Liverpool supporters, more than most, will feel the full force of what that verdict represents. Expect Anfield to be turned up to a frequency that rattles the rafters.

City themselves arrive in formidable shape, winning all five of their Premier League matches so far and adding victories in the Champions League and Carabao Cup for good measure. Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, is unbeaten in his first seven matches as Liverpool manager, with four wins and three draws. But the Spaniard heads into this one nursing a worryingly long list of walking wounded.

Liverpool's injury concerns are mounting fast

Two fresh blows landed during the international break and both hit hard. Alexander Isak departed the Sweden camp early after picking up a thigh problem, the striker having already netted in their Nations League win over Romania before the issue flared. The word coming out is that it is not thought to be serious, but Isak is back at the AXA Training Centre being assessed and Liverpool supporters are still waiting to find out whether he will be available. Cody Gakpo's situation is similarly uncertain after the forward was forced off in the first half of the Netherlands' win over Serbia with an ankle injury, returning to Kirkby ahead of schedule.

The prospect of losing both Gakpo and Isak for the City fixture is a deeply uncomfortable one, particularly with Hugo Ekitike still sidelined. The striker is reportedly closing in on a return to full training before the end of the year, but he will play no part next Sunday. Conor Bradley remains absent too, still working his way back before rejoining the main group on the grass, while Giovanni Leoni is at least moving in the right direction and edging closer to that milestone. Federico Chiesa's situation remains unclear, the Italian yet to feature at all this season.

So depending on how Isak and Gakpo come through their respective assessments, Iraola could be without anywhere from four to six players for the biggest match of his reign so far. That is a significant ask.

City will also be without key figures

Liverpool will at least take some comfort from the fact that City head to Anfield without a guaranteed starter. Phil Foden will serve a suspension after being sent off for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes during City's 1-0 derby win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, meaning he plays no part whatsoever. Beyond Foden, there are doubts over Antoine Semenyo and Nico O'Reilly after both withdrew from international duty with Ghana and England respectively during the break.

Pool all of that together and you have potentially nine players missing or doubtful across the two squads when the teams line up next Sunday. The injury updates over the coming days will be pored over with an intensity that only a fixture of this magnitude can generate. However those fitness battles resolve themselves, the sense that this one genuinely matters, on the pitch and far beyond it, is already undeniable. The next six days cannot pass quickly enough.