Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has revealed that Hugo Ekitike traveled with the team to Craven Cottage, but the results of a scan came back showing he couldn't feature
19:37, 04 Jan 2026
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke after Sunday's game
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot spoke after Sunday's game(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Arne Slot is hopeful that Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike can play against Arsenal in the Premier League on Thursday after he missed the game at Fulham with a minor injury issue.
Before kick-off at Craven Cottage, Slot detailed that Ekitike was absent with a "slight hamstring injury" and that the Frenchman was potentially only set to miss out on one game. Post-match, the Reds boss then explained that Ekitike had traveled with his teammates to West London, only to find out that he was unable to be involved.
"Yes, he traveled because he felt something during the training session," Slot said during his post-match press conference.
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"He felt something during the MRI scan, and we got the results when we were flying. We were hoping it was a bit of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which he also had.
"Why? Because Alex (Isak) has been out. Since Alex has been out, he doesn’t play 60 or 70 minutes and sometimes gets a bit of rest.
"He has to play 80 or 90 minutes every single game for the first time in his life without a winter break and for the first time, at Champions League level. It’s not a big surprise he gets a bit of DOMS.
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool looks on
Hugo Ekitike provided Liverpool's latest injury problem(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
"We were hoping it would be DOMS, and we could have used him as a sub. But, unfortunately, we saw a bit more and couldn’t take a risk.
"Florian [Wirtz] had the same last week when we put him in an MRI scan, and it was only DOMS. He didn't have anything, but he is also for the first time experiencing this program.
"If I don't have that many players, I would like the ones I do have available and play them as many minutes as I can realistically. That's what I tried to do today."
Wirtz stepped up in the absence of Ekitike, Isak and Mohamed Salah, who is at AFCON. He netted another Premier League goal and looked a bright spark, before Cody Gakpo then netted what looked to be the winner.
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"The intensity we brought on the pitch in the second half was much better," Wirtz said on Sky Sports. "We didn't press them well in the first half, but the second half was much better.
"The strike, there is nothing to say. It was unbelievable. You cannot save that ball. Normally, it doesn't go in like this. The actions before could have been better, I'm not sure. It was from a throw-in, so we have to be better.
"Again, we are in a difficult situation because we drew two times. It's not what we want; we want more. We have to get better, but it's still a process."