Liverpool fans will be sweating on the latest Hugo Ekitike injury news as their star forward was forced off at Brighton on Saturday.
LIVE — Brighton v Liverpool
Ahead of a pivotal stretch of the season, Arne Slot is having some big injury problems with Mohamed Salah and Alisson already out for their trip to Brighton.
The Liverpool boss will be hoping the international break has come at a good time for plenty of his players to return to fitness ahead of a late push for the Champions League and FA Cup trophies and a top four finish in the Premier League.
Hugo Ekitike injury news, latest update
Ekitike was very upset as he was subbed off just eight minutes into their trip to Brighton, with tears visible in his eyes. With less than three minutes on the clock he collided with James Milner in the center of the pitch in a pretty innocuous way.
But Ekitike remained on the ground and replays showed hefty contact was made on his left thigh. Ekitike pounded the ground in frustration and after getting treatment he came back on but he couldn’t shake it off and was replaced by Curtis Jones. After going straight down the tunnel with a member of the medical staff after coming off, Ekitike was seen sitting on the bench.
Arne Slot gave the latest Hugo Ekitike injury news after the defeat at Brighton, as everyone connected with Liverpool will be hoping it was just a dead leg that the French international couldn’t run off.
“Hugo, I think he could play tomorrow if he needed to. It was a dead leg, as you call it here I think,” Slot told reporters after the game.
“I think the players, the fans, we all know there are only eight games to go to qualify for the Champions League and every game you have to miss is something you are upset about,” Slot said when asked by TNT Sports in the UK about Ekitike being distraught with the injury. “I think him having to go off after two minutes and not being able to help the team anymore with something that is just a bit of bad luck. It’s not like he’s out for three months, at least that is what I assume, but it is bad enough not to be able to continue and that is a big blow for him and in the end a blow for us.”
Ekitike is Liverpool’s top goalscorer this season with 17 goals and any prolonged absence would hit them hard, especially with Salah struggling with injury and Alexander Isak still out injured.
