Liverpool will face league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, but their offensive options are limited.
Headliner summer signing Alexander Isak will be out for an extended period due to a broken ankle, while Mohamed Salah is unavailable as he competes with Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Hugo Ekitike Injury Update Ahead of Arsenal vs Liverpool
In light of a £446m summer spending spree, Manager Arne Slot's team against Fulham reflected last season’s squad, featuring only two newcomers – Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz.
Injury challenges have limited Slot's choices, but he hopes to have at least one of his new signings back for the Arsenal match, specifically Ekitike.
However, his participation remains uncertain.
“He has not trained with us until now,” Slot updated reporters on Wednesday morning. “Let’s see if he can today.”
On the previous occasion, Slot mentioned that Ekitike is not expected to be out for long, but the rapid succession of games may delay his return by an additional day or two.
The club confirmed that Ekitike missed the last match against Fulham due to delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Cody Gakpo stepped in for Ekitike over the weekend, scoring what appeared to be a late winner in stoppage time, only for Harrison Reed to equalize moments later.
While there was speculation in the summer about how Isak and Ekitike could coexist in the lineup, the recent injury crisis emphasizes Slot's need for depth in attack.
Ekitike is currently valued at €85m according to Transfermarkt.
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