Explained: Cody Gakpo injury risk with potential 6-week layoff

Liverpool await the results of a scan after Cody Gakpo suffered an injury at Tottenham, but the prediction is that he could face around six weeks out.

Gakpo left London in a knee brace on Saturday night, after a nasty challenge from Spurs full-back Destiny Udogie left him with an injury.

Udogie’s lunging tackle saw him catch the Liverpool striker’s ankle, twisting it badly as his body went the other way, forcing him off at half-time.

The Dutchman initially stayed on and scored an equaliser just before the break, but speaking after the game, Jurgen Klopp explained that it was “possibly” a bad injury having seen him “limping down the corridor.”

While the hope will be that, following checks on Sunday and into next week, Gakpo will have avoided any serious damage.

But there is a high risk of the No. 18 facing time out, with injury specialist @physioscout voicing “concern for [an] MCL sprain.”

Cody Gakpo left Liverpool vs. Spurs w/ a knee brace. Ankle was forced into ext rot, stressing the medial knee.

Mechanism brings concern for MCL sprain. Brace typically indicates grade 2/3 injury. Ankle concern too.

Gr 1: 1-2wks
Gr 2: 3-6wks
Gr 3: 6-8wks#FPL #TOTLIV #YNWA #LFC pic.twitter.com/A0zIVKcs8Z

— Physio Scout | Football Injury Analysis (@physioscout) October 1, 2023

“Ankle was forced into external rotation, stressing the medial knee,” the account explained, adding that “[wearing] a brace typically indicates grade 2/3 injury” while there is “ankle concern too.”

The typical timeframe for recovery is one to two weeks for grade 1, three to six weeks for grade 2 and six to eight weeks for grade 3.

There is an expectation, then, that if injury is confirmed, Gakpo will be facing a spell on the sidelines in the region of six weeks.

Naturally, that would be a major blow to Liverpool, with Klopp having employed the strong depth of his squad through rotation in recent weeks.

Gakpo made his sixth start of the campaign on Saturday and scored his third goal, making it two goals in four days and three in a fortnight.

If he is out, there will be increased pressure on Darwin Nunez, who Klopp revealed before Saturday’s 2-1 defeat is struggling with a “little bone” injury picked up with Uruguay.

The Reds’ other central striker option, Diogo Jota, picked up a one-match suspension for the Premier League with his red card for two bookable offences.