Two key men in the treatment room before the big one

Andoni Iraola has confirmed that both Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak are carrying injuries ahead of Sunday's Premier League showdown with Manchester City at Anfield, but stopped well short of ruling either man out. The pair were forced to leave their respective international squads during the break, Isak departing Sweden with a thigh issue, Gakpo substituted early in the Netherlands' win over Serbia with an ankle problem, and both have since returned to the AXA Training Centre for assessment.

Iraola, speaking to beIN SPORTS, kept his cards close to his chest when pressed on whether either would be available. "I think Alex Isak and Cody Gakpo both have had to leave the national teams with injuries," he said. "Now it's a matter of if they are going to recover in time to help us in the next game or not. But right now they are both injured." Reports from the Netherlands had suggested Gakpo could miss a number of weeks, which would make his involvement on Sunday highly unlikely, though the manager offered nothing definitive either way.

Liverpool's attacking options are stretched thin

The timing could hardly be worse. Gakpo and Isak have been among Liverpool's most influential players this season, and losing both for a match against the league leaders would be a serious blow. The squad depth in attack is limited right now: Hugo Ekitike remains sidelined with an Achilles injury, Federico Chiesa has yet to feature this season after a pre-season setback, and Lewis Koumas could find himself as the only naturally senior striking option if the two internationals fail to recover in time.

Iraola had suggested last month that Chiesa might return to training during the break, though there is no indication from this update that he is close to featuring. It is a situation that demands careful management, and it is one that will be watched closely as the week progresses.

Iraola backs Liverpool to fight for titles

For all the injury concern, there is a bigger picture here, and Iraola is clearly focused on it. Liverpool sit sixth in the table but remain unbeaten under their new head coach, and he arrives at Sunday's fixture with a quiet confidence about where this group is heading. "I think we have to arrive as high as we can, we have to be the best team we can be," he said. "I don't know where this will put us but I'm sure that if we can give these players a good platform, a good structure, we will be there fighting for the titles, yes."

That is not the language of a manager who is simply finding his feet. It is the language of someone who believes in what he has inherited. Manchester City, meanwhile, return from the break under the shadow of a Premier League financial regulations verdict, having been found guilty of breaching the top-flight's financial rules, though they arrive at Anfield having won all five of their league matches so far. Iraola is under no illusions about the size of the task. "We know we will have to be at our best," he said. "They've won all of them, so it makes a big difference in their side."

What Iraola said about the City threat

The Liverpool manager was pointed when assessing what City bring to this fixture, acknowledging their attacking firepower in particular. "They've been especially offensively scoring a lot of goals lately," he said. "We know the names that are very dangerous. But I think also we've shown good defensive improvements lately and I hope we can defend the threats that they have and also hurt them on the other side."

That balance, defensive solidity meeting a willingness to cause problems going forward, has been the hallmark of Liverpool's unbeaten start. Whether they can sustain it against the division's form side, potentially without two of their best attackers, is the question Sunday will answer.