Cody Gakpo layoff predicted after injury against Tottenham

Amid all the issues and controversy of Liverpool's defeat to Tottenham on Saturday evening, Jurgen Klopp highlighted Cody Gakpo leaving the stadium in a leg brace as his 'biggest problem'.

Gakpo was preferred as the centre of the Reds' attack ahead of Darwin Nuñez at the weekend, with the Uruguayan apparently ruling himself out of contention with a knee issue aggravated during the international break.

The Dutchman scored Liverpool's first-half equaliser, but was clearly in discomfort during the celebrations and substituted at half time.

After the game, Klopp revealed his number 18 had suffered a knock when fouled by Spurs' Destiny Udogie prior to the goal, while the severity of the issue remained unknown.

Klopp said: "The biggest problem of the game, to be honest... before Cody Gakpo scored, we got a free-kick and he got injured and he is now with a brace limping down the corridor.

"That's my biggest problem, to be honest, in this moment. We lost two [to red cards] and maybe a third player - really bad, really bad. So, yes, that's something we have to deal with obviously."

Asked if the injury for Gakpo was a 'bad one', Klopp added: "Possibly, I don't know.

"He wore a brace. He scored a goal but afterwards, but after that shot he felt it even more. It was from the foul before."

How long will Cody Gakpo be out for?

Injury specialist @physioscout on X raised the possibility of an "MCL sprain" judging by the way Gakpo appeared to twist his knee after being felled by Udogie's lunge.

It was added that the use of a knee brace "typically indicates grade 2/3 injury", suggesting the forward could be facing a layoff of around six weeks.

Meanwhile, Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink posted on Sunday that Gakpo is expected to miss the upcoming international break in October.

He wrote, "Cody Gakpo is expected to be out for several weeks at Liverpool. If all goes well, a few weeks. The Dutch matches in October do not seem feasible for the former PSV player at the moment."

The Athletic, meanwhile, report that the results of the scan on Gakpo's injury mean he will miss the next two club games, but there is hope that he will be available for after the international break.

Any length of absence would represent a blow to Liverpool, who face a testing schedule in the coming weeks.

Gakpo has been an important part of Klopp's plans in 2023/24, featuring in both midfield and attack. He made his sixth start of the season on Saturday, netting his third goal.

With Nuñez left out of the starting lineup against Spurs with his own 'bone injury' and Diogo Jota now facing a suspension, there is a big question over who will be available to start at centre forward when the Reds face Brighton on Sunday, 8 October.

What games will Cody Gakpo miss?

Assuming the Athletic's reporting is correct, the Dutchman is likely to miss the following fixtures for club and country:

• vs Union SG (h) – 5 October
• vs Brighton (a) – 8 October
• vs France – 13 October
• vs Greece 16 October