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Arne Slot Provides Update on Hugo Ekitike Injury
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has explained the absence of forward Hugo Ekitike from Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Fulham, revealing that the French international suffered a minor hamstring injury caused by excessive workload.
With Alexander Isak sidelined for several weeks, Ekitike has been forced to play significantly more minutes than usual throughout the season. Slot noted that this increased demand proved too much for the young player, who is still adapting to the Premier League. The manager stated that Ekitike was not accustomed to playing 80-90 minutes consistently and became fatigued as a result.
Ekitike felt discomfort during a training session and underwent an MRI scan while the team traveled to Fulham. Initially, Slot hoped the issue was merely delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which would have allowed Ekitike to potentially feature as a substitute. However, the scan revealed "a little bit more" than DOMS, prompting the decision to exclude him from the matchday squad entirely.
Slot expressed cautious optimism about Ekitike's availability for Thursday's crucial clash against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, though he emphasized that the forward's return was "definitely not sure yet."
In related news, playmaker Florian Wirtz also managed a slight hamstring problem during the Fulham match, being substituted in the 76th minute. Slot confirmed that Wirtz underwent similar precautionary measures following a previous MRI scan.
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