Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that summer season signing Hugo Ekitike sustained a again harm throughout Wednesday night time’s 4–1 defeat to Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven within the UEFA Champions League.
The 23-year-old returned to the Liverpool beginning XI for the conflict at Anfield however was withdrawn simply after the hour mark for Alexander Isak. On the time, the Reds have been trailing 2–1, and their document signing had struggled to affect proceedings earlier than PSV added two extra objectives to seal a complete victory, turning into simply the second group ever to attain 4+ objectives at Anfield in European competitors.
The defeat marks Liverpool’s ninth loss in 12 matches throughout all competitions and the third straight recreation wherein they’ve been overwhelmed by a three-goal margin, piling much more strain on Slot after a depressing begin to each their home and European campaigns.
Ekitike might now be a doubt for Sunday’s Premier League conflict with West Ham United — a match that’s quickly shaping right into a must-win fixture for the champions as they give the impression of being to halt their damaging dropping run.
Blow
Slot is predicted to offer additional updates forward of the sport, however after the defeat to PSV, he defined in his post-match press convention that Ekitike was unable to proceed attributable to a again drawback.
‘Particularly at first of the second half, I continuously felt, ‘What’s improper with Hugo?’ It felt as if he couldn’t transfer as he did [in] the primary half. So, that’s why our press was, I feel, additionally slightly bit off,’ Slot mentioned.
‘And he simply informed me that within the first 5 to 10 minutes of the primary half he already felt his again an excessive amount of. That’s additionally why he needed to exit.’
Ekitike struggled to affect the sport, taking 4 pictures — two of them on the right track — and recording solely 30 touches throughout his 61 minutes on the pitch.
The Frenchman is now with no purpose in his final six outings for the Reds, having final discovered the web within the 5-1 victory over former membership Eintracht Frankfurt in October.
Liverpool face West Ham at Anfield on Sunday, and Ekitike’s availability stays unsure because the Reds intention to keep away from a 3rd straight dwelling defeat and a fourth successive loss throughout all competitions.
