DEVASTATING blow for Hugo Ekitike just confirmed ahead of Liverpool’s HUGE Arsenal showdown tomorrow
Liverpool are set to resume their campaign on Thursday evening with a challenging away fixture against Premier League leaders Arsenal. Yet the Reds are still in the dark about the full extent of their squad availability ahead of the clash with the competition’s current frontrunners.
The primary concern revolves around Hugo Ekitike’s condition. The French striker, who tops Liverpool’s scoring charts this season with 11 goals to his name, was absent from Sunday’s 2-2 stalemate at Fulham due to a hamstring complaint.
Manager Arne Slot maintains a hopeful outlook that the forward could be match-ready for the journey to the Emirates Stadium.
“We weren’t surprised that he experienced some muscular discomfort,” Slot noted. “Our hope was that it was simply delayed onset muscle soreness and that we could perhaps bring him on as a substitute, but we detected something more concerning and chose not to gamble with his fitness.”
Getting Ekitike back would provide a crucial lift, especially with Alexander Isak ruled out for an extended period after undergoing ankle surgery following a fibula fracture sustained in a challenge with Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven during his goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory before the Christmas break.
Florian Wirtz is likely to feature once again after successfully taking part — and finding the net — at Fulham despite battling comparable hamstring troubles throughout the holiday fixtures.
Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, remains absent while representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, where his national side have advanced to the last eight, while teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni faces the remainder of the campaign on the sidelines after undergoing ACL reconstruction in September.
Wataru Endo is also still ruled out, having been unavailable for the last month following an ankle problem sustained during the 3-3 draw against Leeds United.
