Manchester City travel to Anfield on Sunday for one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the season. Both sides braced to be without several key players as they collide in a match already charged with extra significance following the Independent Commission’s verdict on City’s long-running financial case.
The Citizens arrive on Merseyside in the immediate aftermath of being found guilty of breaching 114 of the Premier League’s financial rules, a ruling the club has strongly disputed.
City have since lodged a formal appeal and continue to protest their innocence, but the timing could hardly be more dramatic, with the club walking straight into a blockbuster away fixture just days after the decision was handed down. Anfield is expected to be a cauldron, with the result certain to dominate headlines regardless of the context.
Enzo Maresca gives injury update ahead of the match
On the pitch, head coach Enzo Maresca has at least been handed a boost at the right moment. Erling Haaland, who was substituted early during Norway’s Nations League defeat to Portugal over the international break, has been passed fit for Sunday’s trip.
The withdrawal was described as a precautionary move rather than the result of an injury, with City’s talisman believed to be managing fatigue rather than carrying a knock, meaning he should be in contention to lead the line against the Reds.
Maresca will not have it all his own way when it comes to selection, however. Phil Foden remains sidelined, with the midfielder set to serve the final match of a three-game suspension picked up after his straight red card in City’s Manchester derby victory over United on 13 September. He is due back for City’s next outing against Paris Saint-Germain.
Nico O’Reilly is also a doubt, having withdrawn from the England squad during the break with an issue yet to be specified; while it is not thought to be serious, his involvement at Anfield is in question.
Antoine Semenyo, who pulled out of Ghana’s squad with a swollen leg, is also considered a minor doubt but there is hope he could be available.
Liverpool hit harder on the injury front
If City’s issues are containable, the picture at Anfield is considerably more complicated for Andoni Iraola’s hosts, who have accrued a lengthy casualty list during the international break.
Alexander Isak, who has scored four goals in five league games this season, missed training on Thursday after returning from Sweden duty early with a thigh injury and has been ruled out.
Similarly, Cody Gakpo will not take part in the match having sustained an ankle problem on international duty with the Netherlands.
Federico Chiesa, who has been sidelined all season with a lower-back injury, was also spotted training and could make the matchday squad for the first time this term.
Liverpool will also be without three players for the long term. Hugo Ekitike remains out as he continues his recovery from the ruptured Achilles he suffered against Paris Saint-Germain in April, with a return targeted for December.
Giovanni Leoni, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury on his debut last September, is edging closer to full training but will not be involved this weekend.
Conor Bradley, meanwhile, has not been sidelined since January with a serious knee injury and has only recently begun ball work in his rehabilitation.
Unlike City, Liverpool have no players suspended for the fixture.
