Liverpool have been boosted by the news that Cody Gakpo is available for the weekend Premier League clash with West Ham, having missed the 2-0 defeat at Everton.
The Reds are back in action on Saturday lunchtime, looking for a huge response after one of the worst performances of the season so far in midweek.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were hopeless at Goodison Park, dservedly being beaten by their Merseyside rivals, and it felt like the end of their title hopes.
Wins for Arsenal and Manchester City have pushed Liverpool further behind in the running, and they aren’t playing well enough to justify being champions.
One player who was absent for the Everton game was Cody Gakpo, with the Dutchman ruled out because his partner was in labour.
Since since, they have confirmed the birth of their son, and speaking to the media on Friday [via journalist David Lynch on X], Klopp said that the 24-year-old is in contention this weekend:
“Jurgen Klopp confirms Cody Gakpo is back in training and available after the birth of his son.”
Our thoughts on Gakpo starting this weekend…
There is a strong case for Gakpo starting against West Ham on Saturday, considering he has arguably been playing better than other attackers in recent weeks.
The Dutchman assisted Diogo Jota in last weekend’s 3-1 win away to Fulham and generally played well, and he was missed during the dire derby loss.
Admittedly, Gakpo hasn’t exactly been setting the world alight – he only has six league goals in 31 appearances this season – but with Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez horribly out of form, it makes sense to bring him in for one of them.
Nunez is arguably causing the biggest problems currently, not only consistently missing big chances but also failing to link with other and provide a reliable first touch.
For that reason, it would be nice to see Gakpo lead the line in between Salah and Luis Diaz, hopefully getting more out of them and generally providing a superior focal point to Nunez.
More is still needed from the Netherlands international, but there were signs of improvement before his recent absence, and a strong end to the season could bode well ahead of the likely appointment of compatriot Arne Slot as Klopp’s replacement.
