If you searched “Gakpo injury,” you probably want a straight answer to a simple question: is Cody Gakpo currently injured, and how serious is it? As of late August 2026, the short answer is no — he’s fit, playing, and was on the pitch for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on August 29, 2026, setting up Alexander Isak’s goal in a 2-2 draw. What’s actually dominating headlines around him right now isn’t an injury at all — it’s a transfer saga, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur both pushing to sign him before the window closes.
That said, “is he injured right now” and “what’s his injury history” are two different questions, and this article answers both. You’ll get his current fitness status, a full rundown of the injuries he’s had since arriving in the Premier League, how Liverpool and the Dutch national team have typically handled his recoveries, and where to check for the latest updates as things develop.
Is Cody Gakpo Currently Injured?
No. Based on the most recent available reporting, Cody Gakpo is not carrying an injury. He started for Liverpool against Nottingham Forest at Anfield on August 29, 2026, and provided the assist for Isak’s equalizer in a game that finished 2-2. There is no indication in current reporting of a fresh knock, muscle strain, or fitness concern for the Dutch forward.
What is happening is a transfer situation. Multiple UK outlets, including Sky Sports and The Athletic, reported on August 29-30, 2026, that Manchester City had opened talks with Liverpool over a move for Gakpo, with Tottenham also in the picture. Liverpool are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of £80 million, and Gakpo is said to have decided he wants to leave before the transfer deadline. This is a contract and transfer story, not a medical one — but because it’s breaking at the same time, some searches for “Gakpo injury” may actually be people trying to figure out why he’s suddenly all over the news, or double-checking he’s fit enough to be worth that fee.
Because transfer situations move fast and this one was still unresolved as of this article’s publication, it’s worth checking a live source (linked in the tracking section below) if you’re reading this after the transfer window has closed.
Why “Gakpo Injury” Searches Are Trending Right Now
A few different things tend to drive spikes in searches like this:
Fantasy football and betting decisions. If you have Gakpo in a fantasy squad or are considering a bet involving him, you need to know he’s fit before a matchday, not after.
Confusion with transfer news. A player suddenly appearing in every headline often gets searched alongside “injury” simply because people assume bad news when a name trends. In Gakpo’s case, the trigger is a transfer battle, not a fitness issue.
General injury history curiosity. Gakpo has picked up a handful of injuries during his time at Liverpool, and some fans want the full picture before a big match or before deciding whether to include him in a squad.
None of these point to a current injury. But it’s fair to want the background, so here’s his actual track record.
Cody Gakpo’s Injury History at Liverpool
Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, and reports on the transfer fee have varied depending on add-ons, with figures cited anywhere from roughly £35 million to £44 million. Since then, his availability has generally been strong for a regular starting forward, with a few notable exceptions:
Knee injury, October 2023. Gakpo picked up a knee problem that sidelined him for a short spell in the early part of that season.
Knock, February-March 2025. Gakpo missed a stretch of matches, including a Liverpool trip to Aston Villa, with what the club described at the time as a knock. He returned within a few weeks and was assessed as a doubt for a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain shortly afterward, training with the squad before making the matchday squad from the bench.
Muscle injury, December 2025. This was the most significant fitness setback of his Liverpool career to that point. Gakpo picked up a muscle injury during a 3-3 draw at Leeds United in early December 2025. Manager Arne Slot confirmed he would be out for “a few weeks,” and Liverpool were without him for their Champions League trip to Inter Milan, a Premier League match against Brighton, and further fixtures through the rest of December. A scan taken partway through his recovery was described by Slot as encouraging, easing some of the club’s early concern. Gakpo was working his way back toward full training by late December, with his return timed around the turn of the year.
Beyond these Liverpool-era injuries, historical data also shows a series of shorter absences earlier in his career at PSV and with the Dutch youth setup, including ankle problems and a couple of illness-related absences. None of these were long-term issues, and none appear to be relevant to his current fitness.
How Serious Are These Injuries, Typically?
It’s worth putting this in context rather than treating every headline as a crisis. Muscle strains and knocks like the ones Gakpo has had are extremely common for elite footballers who play 50-plus matches a season across league, cup, and international competitions. A “few weeks” absence for a muscle injury is a routine part of a long campaign, not a sign of a chronic problem.
What would be more significant, and isn’t present in Gakpo’s record, is a serious structural injury such as an ACL tear, a major hamstring rupture, or a stress fracture — the kinds of injuries that keep players out for six months or longer. Compare his profile with Liverpool teammates who have dealt with those more serious issues during the same period, including long-term hamstring and Achilles injuries elsewhere in the squad, and Gakpo’s history looks relatively manageable by comparison.
What Happens When Gakpo Gets Injured: Liverpool’s Process
Liverpool’s medical and coaching staff follow a fairly consistent pattern when a first-team player picks up a knock, and Gakpo’s cases have followed it closely:
- Immediate assessment. If a player is withdrawn during a match or reports discomfort in training, the medical team does an initial evaluation, often within 24 to 48 hours.
- Scan or imaging, if needed. For muscle and soft-tissue concerns, an MRI or ultrasound typically follows to confirm the grade of the injury and estimate a recovery window.
- Manager’s public update. Arne Slot typically gives an update in his pre-match press conference, often using phrasing like “a few weeks” rather than a specific date, since soft-tissue recovery timelines can shift.
- Graded return to training. Players build back up through individual fitness work, then partial team training, before being included in a full squad session.
- Return to the matchday squad. A player is usually named among the substitutes first, rather than starting immediately, unless the head coach is confident the injury has fully settled.
This is a standard professional football recovery pathway, not something unique to Gakpo, and it explains why “out for a few weeks” updates from Slot have generally proven accurate for him.
Impact on Liverpool’s Attack
When Gakpo has been unavailable, Liverpool have typically shifted their front-line options rather than making like-for-like swaps, since he’s comfortable playing across the front three and occasionally through the middle. During his December 2025 absence, for example, reporting suggested Slot could pair other forwards, including Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak, in his absence. His versatility is part of why his fitness gets tracked closely by Liverpool-focused outlets: losing him doesn’t just remove one specific role, it removes a player capable of covering three different attacking positions.
Impact on the Netherlands National Team
Gakpo has been a regular feature for the Dutch national side since his breakout performances at the 2022 World Cup, where he scored in each of the Netherlands’ first three group matches. Because his club-level injuries have generally been short in duration, they have rarely lined up with international breaks in a way that’s forced him to miss Netherlands fixtures, though national team call-ups are always subject to a final fitness check closer to the match dates.
How to Track Gakpo’s Fitness Going Forward
Given that his situation, both fitness and contractually, can change quickly, here’s where reliable, current information tends to surface first:
- Liverpool’s official club website publishes manager press conference updates directly, which is usually the most accurate source for injury status.
- Premier League club beat reporters at major UK outlets tend to break injury and squad news quickly and accurately, since they attend press conferences in person.
- Post-match squad sheets are the most concrete confirmation of fitness, since a player’s inclusion or absence from a matchday squad is a hard fact rather than a prediction.
If you’re reading this well after August 2026, treat the “current status” section above as historical and check one of these sources for where things stand today, especially given the transfer talks that were unresolved at the time of writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cody Gakpo injured right now?
As of late August 2026, no. He played and recorded an assist in Liverpool’s match against Nottingham Forest on August 29, 2026. The major story around him at that time was transfer interest from Manchester City and Tottenham, not a fitness issue.
What was Gakpo’s most recent significant injury?
His most notable recent injury was a muscle problem picked up during a 3-3 draw at Leeds United in early December 2025, which kept him out for a few weeks over the Christmas period.
Has Gakpo had any serious long-term injuries?
No. Available reporting doesn’t show any long-term structural injuries, such as an ACL tear or a major hamstring rupture, in his career to date. His absences have generally been short-term muscle strains and knocks.
Why is “Gakpo injury” trending if he’s not hurt?
Search interest often spikes around a player’s name for reasons unrelated to injury, including transfer news. In this case, reported talks between Liverpool and Manchester City (with Tottenham also interested) generated a wave of attention right as the transfer window was closing.
Where can I check Gakpo’s fitness before a match?
The most reliable check is the matchday squad list, published shortly before kickoff, along with the manager’s pre-match press conference, which typically covers any fresh fitness concerns.
Conclusion
Cody Gakpo isn’t dealing with a current injury. He’s been a regular starter through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, and his most recent notable fitness issue, a muscle injury from December 2025, resolved within a few weeks and hasn’t recurred. The reason his name is everywhere right now is a transfer tug-of-war between Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham, not a medical setback. If his situation changes, whether that’s a new knock or a completed transfer, the club’s official channels and established Premier League reporters will confirm it first, so that’s the best place to check if you’re reading this at a later date.
