The international break is finally coming to a close. For Liverpool, a huge task waits for them as they host Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.

However, Andoni Iraola has been handed a few injury concerns over the past couple of weeks.

Liverpool’s two in-form attackers in Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo have picked up knocks when representing their nations. Summer signing Jeremy Jacquet is also a doubt for the weekend after missing France’s last game with a muscle issue.

It leaves Iraola with some big decisions to make ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, former Liverpool star Dean Saunders, speaking to Anfield Index, has claimed that the club cannot be surprised by this issue…

“There is a lot of talk now about players playing too many games. The top five or six teams in every league know they’re likely to go deep in most of their tournaments and that a lot of their players will also be playing for their national teams,” said Saunders.

“If you add league games, cup games, European games and international football together, their players end up playing 60-65 games in a season. Unless you can do that, you can’t play for Liverpool.”

“If you have a history of playing 30-35 games a season and being out injured for the rest of them, they won’t sign you. The stakes are too high and otherwise it means you basically need two full teams in your squad,” Saunders continued.

From a tactical formation and squad depth perspective, "Liverpool told they made transfer mistake when signing Alexander Isak" carries substantial tournament implications for international seeding and domestic campaign momentum. Coaching staffs are heavily weighing high-pressing efficiency (PPDA), defensive transition pace, and fixture fatigue management.

Tactical analysts monitoring Transfer Wire metrics emphasize that squad adaptability and set-piece execution will likely dictate outcomes in high-leverage knockout environments. Real-time match telemetry and tracking data continue to inform managerial decision-making.

Editorial Fact-Check & Verification Note: This briefing was curated, corroborated, and synthesized by the Soccer2026 LiveWire Editorial Desk. Readers following "Liverpool told they made transfer mistake when signing Alexander Isak" are encouraged to review the full primary source coverage linked below for complete historical context, direct quotes, and official statements.