Forget Koumas: Liverpool Will Unleash Rio Ngumoha After Gakpo Injury Blow

· GiveMeSport

The Netherlands star looks set to be out for weeks after suffering injury on international duty

Premier League managers will dread losing players during the international break, and Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has received that exact update today.

Liverpool have made an unbeaten start to the season in all competitions under new boss Iraola, but the Spaniard has suffered a major blow with the news that Cody Gakpo has withdrawn from international duty and returned to the club's AXA Training Centre for further assessment.

The 27-year-old picked up the injury during his nation's 2-1 Nations League win against Serbia on Sunday evening, and he was substituted off in the first half as a result.

Holland boss Xavi was clearly worried about the injury when he was speaking post-match, and it has now been confirmed that Gakpo will be unavailable for the Dutch for the remainder of the extended international break.

Reliable Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink has gone into further detail on the issue though, posting on X that the Reds forward will now be missing for 'several weeks' after further tests in Eindhoven.

The news will come as a big blow to Iraola, who has publicly said that Gakpo has been one of the club's best players this season.

Of course, the Dutchman actually came close to leaving Anfield in the summer amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, who at one stage were confident of sealing a £85m transfer if the Merseyside outfit signed a replacement.

Liverpool failed to do that though and decided they wanted to keep Gakpo at Anfield, and it's a decision that has paid off given his early-season form.

Gakpo for Liverpool in 2026-27

- Appearances: 6 - Starts: 5 - Minutes: 461 - Goals: 2 - Assists: 4

Now, with the forward set to be missing for 'several weeks', Iraola will need other forwards to step up to the plate.

21-year-old Lewis Koumas has been integrated into the first-team squad this season following some impressive loan spells in the Championship, and he has impressed when he has been on the pitch.

The Wales international was one of the standout performers after starting against Tottenham in the EFL Cup, playing 86 minutes of that game, with his work rate in particular catching the eye.

Lewis Koumas vs Tottenham

- Minutes: 86 - Goals: 0 - Shots: 3 - Shots on target: 1 - Successful crosses: 1 - Touches in opposition box: 5 - Defensive contributions: 3

However, Iraola now has a big opportunity to unleash another young sensation instead in their upcoming matches.

After scoring a last-gasp winner as a 16-year-old for Liverpool away at Newcastle last August, you wondered if the 2025-26 season might be a huge breakthrough campaign for Ngumoha.

It was in a way, as the teenager ended up making 31 appearances across the campaign and featuring for more than 1,000 minutes, but he also was struggling to get on the pitch at all mid-season under Arne Slot.

Ngumoha's preference is to play from the left-hand side, but the problem for the 18-year-old is that Iraola has lots of other senior options who also prefer to play there.

Gakpo is one, Bradley Barcola is another, and Victor Munoz too, meaning Ngumoha has often been used on the right when he has featured.

Rio Ngumoha in 2026-27

- Appearances: 5 - Starts: 3 - Minutes: 232 - Goals: 0 - Assists: 0

He has started three of their seven matches this term, but he is yet to register a goal contribution.

Theoretically, the injury to Gakpo should not only see him get more minutes in the upcoming fixtures, but also have more opportunities to feature from his preferred spot on the left.

He needs to make the most of those opportunities too, to ensure Iraola has no choice but to use him more in that role.

Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand is certainly impressed by what he has seen from the teenager, labelling him 'special'.

Iraola likes his attackers to be versatile, and it is likely that all the aforementioned wide players will be used on both the left and the right this season by the former Bournemouth boss.

Ngumoha now needs to show he can do both, even if he prefers to play from the left.

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