Liverpool host struggling West Ham in the Premier League this weekend but Arne Slot will not be able to call upon Florian Wirtz with the Germany international set for a spell on the sidelines
Arne Slot speaks
Arne Slot was unable to offer a timeframe for Florian Wirtz's return from injury on Friday(Image: LFC TV)
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Arne Slot admits he doesn't know when Florian Wirtz will be available again following the back injury the Liverpool midfielder sustained last weekend.
The Germany international was forced to pull out of the team that beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 on Sunday after hurting himself in the warm-up. Slot has now confirmed Wirtz will play no part when Liverpool host struggling West Ham on Saturday - and he's not sure when the former Bayer Leverkusen star will be back in action.
"Jeremie [Frimpong] trained with us a few times this week. So he's available. But I don't expect Florian [Wirtz] to be available," Slot said in his pre-match press conference on Friday morning.
"It's a disappointment. Every time a player is not available is a disappointment, it's something that I didn't expect after last week."
Florian Wirtz
Wirtz pulled out during the warm-up ahead of Liverpool's win over Nottingham Forest last Sunday(Image: Getty Images)
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While discussing a timeframe for Wirtz's return, Slot added: "At this moment in time, I don't know. Usually when I say that, I do know and I don't want to share that. But this time, I honestly don't know.
"It's a big accomplishment for Wirtz to stay fit for such a long time because he had to make a step up from where he played to the Premier League and Liverpool. It tells a lot about his mentality and work rate that he has stayed fit for so long.
"It is a disappointment for him and for us, because he has played really, really well lately."