Arne Slot provides an injury update on Wataru Endo, with the Liverpool man expected to be sidelined "for a long time"
Liverpool's Japanese midfielder #03 Wataru Endo lays on the pitch injured during the English Premier League football match between Sunderland and Liverpool at The Stadium of Light in Sunderland in north east England on February 11, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. /
Wataru Endo in agony after going down injured in Liverpool's 1-0 win at Sunderland(Image: ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)
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Arne Slot says he expects Wataru Endo to be sidelined "for a long time" after the Liverpool man was taken off on a stretcher in the 1-0 win over Sunderland. The Japan captain was making his first start of the Premier League season, filling in at right-back, when he suffered a foot injury when clearing a cross aimed for Nilson Angulo at the back post in the second half.
The versatile Endo initially played on but was eventually taken off on a stretcher and while the 33-year-old will be assessed on Thursday to discover the true nature and the severity of the issue, Slot says he expects the player to be on the shelf for a considerable amount of time, handing injury-hit Liverpool a further setback defensively.
"Yes, it is a serious one, but how serious we don't know yet," the Reds head coach said.
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"Because it has to be assessed tomorrow (Thursday) of course, but it doesn't look good. I am not too sure if it is his ankle, it is his foot but if it is his ankle, that is what we have to assess tomorrow.
"But I assume he will be out for a long time.
"And what is 'long' that is difficult to say at this moment but, yes, you can hardly believe what this right-full back position brings us this season."
Liverpool attempted to sign defensive cover before the close of the January transfer window, with RB Leipzig's Lutsharel Geertruida a target before it was accepted that a deal would be too difficult given Sunderland, who have Slot's former Feyenoord captain on loan, needing further cover if he switched to Anfield.
The Reds boss joked about Geertruida's second-half substitution in relation to the season-long issues at right-back, adding: "Since Geertruida came in, I thought this would sum it up completely if he scores to make it 1-1 but thankfully he didn't."
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