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Liverpool's standout attacker Cody Gakpo was substituted off in the 17th minute of the Netherlands' 2–1 victory against Serbia on Sunday, though his international head coach, Xavi Hernández, downplayed fears that the winger had sustained a serious injury.
Gakpo has been one of the most pleasant surprises of Liverpool's campaign so far. Despite coming agonizingly close to completing a move to Manchester City last month, the tall winger remained at Anfield and has since rediscovered the kind of form that made him so highly regarded.
Even following another summer of heavy investment, the standout performer at Anfield has been the 27-year-old who arrived for €40 million ($45.5 million at current rates) three years ago. It's little surprise that Andoni Iraola described himself as "very happy" to have retained a player who has racked up six direct goal contributions across five starts this season.
So when Gakpo was unable to play through a heavy challenge from Serbia's Saša Lukić early in the weekend's Nations League encounter, concern quickly spread through the medical staff back on Merseyside.
Fortunately for Iraola and the club as a whole, Xavi struck an optimistic tone regarding his forward's recovery timeline. "I don't think so," the Netherlands head coach said when pressed on whether the injury was serious. "Tomorrow we will know, but hopefully it's not too important."
What Injury Does Cody Gakpo Have?
"It's his ankle," Xavi revealed, "that's all I know."
Lukić lunged in to challenge for the ball, which he won, but not before his legs caught Gakpo's left leg in a scissoring motion. The winger's studs momentarily snagged in the turf, twisting his ankle into an unnatural position.
Gakpo is expected to undergo a scan this week to assess the extent of the damage, according to The Athletic, which will determine how long he will be sidelined.
When Will Cody Gakpo Return From Injury?
Until further medical assessments are completed, any prognosis remains speculative. That said, since the exact moment of impact was captured in high definition, there is at least some visual evidence to work with.
Gakpo appears to have sustained some form of ankle sprain, though only a scan will confirm whether any ligament damage has occurred. A minor sprain could allow the Liverpool forward to return within days—which is why he was not immediately sent home from the international camp, which still has two fixtures remaining.
A partial ligament tear would typically require between three and six weeks of rehabilitation, while a more severe injury could keep him out for several months.
During his time at PSV Eindhoven, Gakpo missed two months with an ankle complaint at the start of 2021, and later that same year was ruled out for five weeks with a problem in the same area. However, he has had no recurrence of ankle issues since making the move to Liverpool in 2023.