Liverpool Forced into Last-Minute Change vs Nottingham Forest After Florian Wirtz Injury

Liverpool suffered a major blow just before their Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Sunday when star midfielder Florian Wirtz was ruled out due to an injury sustained during the warm-up.[1][2][3]

The 22-year-old German international, a high-profile summer signing, had been named in Arne Slot's starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 formation but was swiftly replaced by Curtis Jones. Liverpool's official announcement on X simply stated there was "a late alteration to our starting line-up, with Curtis Jones taking the place of Florian Wirtz," leaving fans awaiting further details from the manager.[1][2]

Wirtz, who has made 35 appearances this season with 6 goals and 8 assists, has been in scintillating form lately. All seven of his Premier League contributions came since December, helping him adapt after early struggles where he failed to score or assist in his first 15 top-flight games. He's directly contributed to six goals in his last 10 league outings, making his absence particularly untimely.[1][3]

This season, Wirtz has only missed two matches for Liverpool—both home defeats: a 3-0 loss to Forest and a 4-1 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. His resilience is notable, with over 230 senior appearances and 37 Germany caps already.[1]

The injury adds to Slot's selection headaches, coming amid a right-back crisis without Jeremie Frimpong for another week. Early in the game, Jones lost possession shortly after kickoff, highlighting the challenge of replacing Wirtz's creativity.[3]

Liverpool have a week's break before West Ham visit Anfield on February 28, followed by fixtures against Wolves and a Champions League last-16 tie. Fans hope it's a minor issue, allowing the "invigorated" Wirtz to return soon.[1][3]

The updated lineup featured Alisson, Konate, Van Dijk, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez (or similar, per reports), with substitutes including Gomez and others.[2]

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