Hugo Ekitike was a surprise late omission from Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at Fulham on Sunday, having been ruled out due to a minor hamstring problem.
It was only the third game all season in which the 23-year-old hasn’t played, and Arne Slot attributed the injury to the striker’s heavy workload, with the scope for rotation severely hampered by the lengthy body blow to Alexander Isak.
With the Reds travelling to face Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday, the window for recovery is tight, and Kopites are set for an anxious wait to see if our top scorer for the current campaign will be fit in time for the Emirates Stadium showdown.
Slot uncertain on Ekitike’s fitness for Arsenal clash
Speaking after the Fulham game, Slot seemed non-committal as to the likelihood of Ekitike being available to face the Gunners, admitting that the four-day turnaround could be slightly too restrictive.
When asked by beIN SPORTS whether the Frenchman would be fit in time for Thursday, the Liverpool boss replied: “Could be. Let’s wait and see how he does and the days after. It’s always going to be a thin line and a difficult balance. If a player is not available today, is he then available in four days?”
Liverpool will be praying for Ekitike to be passed fit for Thursday
Slot is set to provide a more accurate update in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday morning, but his initial reaction seems to lean towards Ekitike not making it in time to face Arsenal, which’d be a hammer blow to the reigning champions in a season which has been full of them.
At least Cody Gakpo was available for selection at centre-forward against Fulham (and scored in that game), but Liverpool will need as strong a line-up as possible when they make the thankless trip to take on the current league leaders, who’ve extended their advantage over Manchester City in the past week.
The Reds had just one senior attacker in reserve at Craven Cottage in Federico Chiesa, who’s rarely ever trusted to start. Contrast that with how Mikel Arteta was able to bring Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus off the bench against Bournemouth and had no need to even deploy Eberechi Eze.
If Ekitike is able to start against Arsenal, Slot could then give him a breather against Barnsley in the FA Cup next Monday, thus giving the striker ample recovery time for the second half of January, when the crunch fixtures come thick and fast.
Fingers crossed that the 23-year-old will be deemed fit enough to play at the Emirates, a fixture for which Liverpool will need every bit of firepower they can muster if they’re to extend their unbeaten run to 10 matches.