Florian Wirtz's absence quickly caused a glaring problem for Hugo Ekitike vs Nottingham Forest - opinion
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Florian Wirtz was withdrawn from the Liverpool matchday squad to face Nottingham Forest after being initially named in the XI.With the German out, Arne Slot decided to bring Curtis Jones into the team.However, despite Dominik Szoboszlai being in top form this season, the Liverpool manager opted to keep the Hungarian at right-back and start Jones in the 10. Change my mind Rio Ngumoha was Liverpool’s star man despite barely playing vs Forest Can anyone take the MOM award off him?
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images This went about as well as most would have expected, with the Englishman far too slow on the ball and often losing possession in dangerous positions.Liverpool fans urged Slot to swap Jones and Szoboszlai, with the former’s inclusion in midfield having a clear, negative impact on the team’s ability to create any sort of meaningful attacks.Hugo Ekitike struggles with Florian WirtzThe main man impacted by the late Wirtz withdrawal was striker Hugo Ekitike.Ekitike and Wirtz’s partnership has blossomed in recent months, with their pair already combining for six goals so far this season.Without the German in the team, however, Ekitike looked pretty lost and had nobody to link up with.He took over eight minutes to even have a touch of the ball, and when he eventually did, he struggled to do much of note.In fact, Ekitike attempted just five passes in the first half, four of which were successful.It’s become obvious that the Frenchman doesn’t have the same understanding with the rest of Liverpool’s forward players that he does with Wirtz.But if the 22-year-old is out for a prolonged period, it means Slot and co. will have to find a different way to get Ekitike looking sharp and involved in games.Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty ImagesLiverpool’s best XI without Florian WirtzLiverpool are next in action on Saturday, taking on West Ham United at Anfield.If Wirtz is not fit for that clash, Slot has a couple of obvious changes to make.Firstly, Szoboszlai simply has to start in the number 10 role, which is his best position anyway.Secondly, it looks as though Jeremie Frimpong will be back from injury next week, so he needs to start at right-back ahead of Jones or Joe Gomez.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox