Liverpool and Manchester United face mounting concerns over their squad depth after Sunday's Nations League fixtures delivered fresh injury blows to both Premier League rivals. Cody Gakpo was forced off just 17 minutes into the Netherlands' clash with Serbia, while Patrick Dorgu lasted only 31 minutes for Denmark against Wales. The dual departures have left both clubs anxiously awaiting medical assessments, with neither injury severity yet confirmed as the international break continues.
Gakpo's withdrawal came after a heavy challenge from Sasa Lukic in midfield during the early stages of the Belgrade encounter. The Liverpool winger initially appeared capable of continuing after the tackle, but signalled to the bench that he would need to be withdrawn moments later. The 27-year-old was replaced by Ruben van Bommel in the 17th minute. His injury compounds existing problems for the Reds, who are already managing the absence of Alexander Isak, who left the Sweden camp to return to Merseyside for assessment after scoring against Romania on Friday. Liverpool currently have Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, and Conor Bradley sidelined on a longer-term basis, leaving Reds boss Andoni Iraola with a stretched defensive and attacking setup heading into their fixture against Manchester City on Sunday, October 11.
Manchester United's concerns centre on Dorgu, their versatile full-back, who limped off in the 31st minute of Denmark's match against Wales and headed straight down the tunnel. Mohamed Daramy replaced him on the pitch. Compounding United's injury headache, captain Bruno Fernandes has been ruled out of Portugal's upcoming match against Norway due to injury. Fernandes was substituted late on during Portugal's match against Wales on Thursday and missed training on Saturday, though he remains with the squad and has not yet been ruled out of Portugal's final two Nations League fixtures.
The accumulating injury toll for both clubs underscores the challenging balance between club and international commitments at this stage of the season. Both teams must now navigate a tense waiting period to determine the extent of these fresh setbacks before their players return to domestic action. The timing of these injuries—coming during a congested fixture period—adds significant pressure to squad rotation and tactical planning for Iraola and Erik ten Hag in the weeks ahead.