Hugo Ekitike's Shocking Absence: The Real Reason He's Missing Liverpool's Clash with Fulham
Liverpool boss Arne Slot disclosed that his side's leading goalscorer Hugo Ekitiké had picked up a "minor hamstring problem" that ruled him out of Sunday's encounter at Fulham.
As Slot was eager to emphasize, Ekitiké has been constantly needed due to Alexander Isak's ongoing fitness troubles: The Swedish striker had been dealing with multiple muscle problems before fracturing his leg a fortnight ago.
Throughout most of the campaign, Ekitiké has been tasked with spearheading Liverpool's attack. The 23-year-old featured in the club's last six matches—which were crammed into a 26-day period—prior to this weekend's Craven Cottage encounter. Ekitiké has already accumulated 1,643 minutes in all competitions this term, surpassing what he managed during his entire professional career in France.
A standout season for Eintracht Frankfurt last year marked Ekitiké's first complete campaign as a consistent starter, yet the demands of the Premier League have finally taken their toll on the tall striker.
Arne Slot Provides Injury Update on Hugo Ekitiké
Speaking before the match against Fulham, Slot stated: "Isak has been absent for several weeks now and that's resulted in Ekitiké having to feature for more minutes than earlier in the season. This has caused him to develop a minor hamstring problem, and for someone his age, not fully accustomed to the Premier League, it's proven somewhat overwhelming."
Slot has regularly lamented the volume of injuries that have affected Liverpool's roster this season. Beyond Isak and now Ekitiké, Florian Wirtz has also been ruled out with a slight muscular problem.
Indeed, Milos Kerkez remains the club's sole first-team summer signing who has avoided any stint in the medical room—likely due to his two seasons adapting to the Premier League with Bournemouth.
When Will Hugo Ekitiké Return for Liverpool?
It's a hectic period for Liverpool and Slot's choice to omit Ekitiké from Sunday's matchday squad was likely influenced by the challenging fixture list ahead. A difficult away match at Arsenal looms this Thursday and the Dutch manager expressed optimism that his most clinical attacker would be fit.
Liverpool fielded a team without a natural striker in their squad versus Fulham. This marked just the second occasion this season that Slot had selected a starting eleven without either Isak or Ekitiké, with the only previous instance occurring in the Carabao Cup fourth round against Crystal Palace.
The Reds suffered a heavy defeat at Anfield that disappointing night, but two of the team's finest displays last season came when Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones operated as a false nine partnership away to Manchester City and Brighton. Despite this historical success, Slot is evidently anxious to have Ekitiké back in action at the earliest opportunity.