Liverpool prime scorer Hugo Ekitike is a giant doubt for Thursday evening’s journey to Arsenal – and the Frenchman has not skilled but this week.
The 23-year-old has scored 11 objectives since his £79million summer season transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt, together with 5 in his final 5 league video games, however was a giant miss in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Fulham as a consequence of a hamstring difficulty.
And now Slot says Ekitike could possibly be absent for the massive match in north London this week.
‘Hugo has not skilled with us till now let’s have a look at if he can at present,’ mentioned the boss on Wednesday morning. ‘I’ve mentioned once we performed Fulham he wasn’t going to be out for lengthy however as video games come too quick.’
Ekitike skilled on Saturday however felt some hamstring discomfort and Liverpool bought outcomes of an MRI scan whereas they had been airborne en path to Fulham. The striker had travelled but it surely was determined to not play him as a consequence of delayed-onset muscle soreness.
It seems that had not settled by midweek and there’s a cloud over whether or not he will be match sufficient to play on the Emirates Stadium – particularly from the beginning.
Hugo Ekitike is a doubt for Liverpool’s journey to Arsenal on Thursday and hasn’t skilled this week
Arne Slot mentioned that video games come ‘too quick’ and he couldn’t promise that Ekitike will play
That fingers the benefit even additional to league leaders Arsenal, who’re 14 factors away from Slot’s males.
Talking about Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, Slot mentioned: ‘Possibly their fundamental power is that they’ve so many strengths or hardly have one thing that’s weak.
‘In order that they hardly concede objectives. They will rating from open play, they will rating from set-pieces, have excellent concepts on build-up, can play lengthy balls, so they’re the whole package deal.
‘For that motive, in my view, they should be on prime this season.’
Talking about Liverpool’s lack of defensive reinforcements, Slot added: ‘Joe (Gomez) is again so that’s already a giant assist.
‘No supervisor would let you know they’re fully glad they’ve solely two centre-backs accessible.
‘However it’s important to have a look at the larger image and we now have signed an unbelievable participant in Giovanni Leoni (a summer season signing from Parma who’s dominated out for the season after a ligament harm on his debut) who shall be again subsequent season.
‘That is the best way this membership works. As a lot as has been mentioned about our spending final summer season, it isn’t that there isn’t any limitation to us spending.
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‘We’ve got to do good issues and this membership has all the time tried to do good issues to maintain up with the groups we need to compete with.
‘There is no distinction now. However in a really perfect world you’d have greater than two centre-backs accessible, however typically issues work out in the best way it could occur now and it’s important to settle for that scenario.’
