How Liverpool’s attack could look vs Man City if Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo aren’t fit to play

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Without his best two attacking performers, however, the Liverpool boss still has three different ways he could line up to hurt City. 🚨 Alexander Isak has suffered a minor injury and is returning to Liverpool early. The Frenchman is yet to really spark since his £123m move from Paris Saint-Germain, but his importance will surge without his two fellow regular starters.Iraola obviously wants to use Barcola from the left and the right – and even potentially through the middle – and whatever he chooses to do against City will inform who else plays.If Liverpool are missing Isak and Gakpo, then it might make the most sense to keep Barcola in his favoured position on the left.

Rio Ngumoha might have something to say about that, but whether on the right or the left, Ngumoha and Barcola on the wings still looks like a tough proposition for any defence, Man City’s included.Victor Munoz was reportedly bought partly because of his ability to play across the front line, and in lieu of signing a natural back-up to Isak, it seems that Liverpool had an eye on the Spaniard playing centrally at times. That might have to be given a first try against City.Option one: Bradley Barcola, Victor Munoz, Rio NgumohaOption two: Lewis Koumas gets his chance to shineThe other available option for Iraola to play through the middle – assuming Federico Chiesa is still injured – is Lewis Koumas, who has quickly made himself a favourite of the new head coach.Koumas has been playing well for Wales during the international break, and injuries to Isak and Gakpo open up the chance for him to make his full Premier League debut against City.With Barcola on the left, Munoz on the right and Koumas through the middle, Liverpool would have real pace up front, and the academy graduate’s all-action pressing style could be exactly what is needed to further whip up an Anfield crowd who will already be fervent.

Iraola could also use Ngumoha in this configuration, but it might be more wise to go with all out speed, meaning Munoz.Option two: Bradley Barcola, Lewis Koumas, Victor MunozOption three: Bradley Barcola goes through the middleAlthough the first two options are fairly obvious for Iraola, the possibility that he is missing two starting players could also give him a chance to do something a little more adventurous.Perhaps City are not the best team to be trying new things against, but the Spaniard could answer the calls to move Florian Wirtz from his attacking midfield role and shift him into his attack instead.Wirtz often played from the left under Arne Slot, and though he did not always look especially comfortable doing so, he can cause damage drifting into pockets of space centrally. This would also allow Iraola to get Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai on the pitch together, and that could be key against City’s excellent midfield.Option three: Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, Victor MunozJoin Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox