Jayden Danns.placeholder image
Jayden Danns. | Getty Images
Hugo Ekitike faces a lengthy spell on the Liverpool sidelines after suffering an Achilles injury.
When Hugo Ekitike left Anfield on a stretcher, the severity of the Liverpool striker’s injury was immediately apparent.
Early assessments suggested an Achilles problem sustained during the Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and that has now been confirmed by both Liverpool and France. The 23-year-old faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines and is unlikely to return before the end of the year.
It is another major setback for the Reds, who have endured a catalogue of injuries this season. While Arne Slot’s side have fallen short of expectations, their lack of fortune with fitness has been impossible to ignore. Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley have suffered serious knee injuries, Alexander Isak broke his leg while scoring at Tottenham Hotspur and Wataru Endo sustained an ankle issue making a clearance at Sunderland.
Ekitike’s absence comes at a pivotal stage. Liverpool may be out of the Champions League, but the battle to secure qualification for next season remains finely poised. Sitting fifth in the Premier League with six games left, there is little margin for error and Slot’s attacking options are now stretched.
Isak has returned from his leg break but, after almost four months out and an interrupted pre-season following his move from Newcastle, he may not reach peak sharpness until next term.
Cody Gakpo has featured centrally at times - his primary role under Jürgen Klopp - yet has largely been used out wide since Slot’s arrival. Federico Chiesa is out of favour, while Florian Wirtz has only occasionally been deployed as a makeshift centre-forward and is not a long-term solution there.
That raises the question of Jayden Danns. The 20-year-old is highly rated by Slot and his staff and has impressed in limited senior opportunities, scoring three goals in 10 appearances.
However, his progress has been disrupted by injuries. A back problem prevented him from featuring during his loan spell at Sunderland last season, while a serious hamstring issue in October further stalled his development. Although he returned for the under-21s against Manchester City last month, he was forced off inside 30 minutes with another hamstring concern.
Danns is expected to be out for around three to four weeks, leaving Liverpool likely to take a cautious approach. A gradual return with the under-21s, who are preparing for the Premier League 2 play-offs, appears the most sensible route.
If he can build fitness and avoid further setbacks, a place on the bench for the final games of the season is possible, but the club will be reluctant to take risks.
Reflecting on Danns’ situation in January, Slot said: “He’s been very unlucky in his career until now, but the good thing about him is that he has a great mentality. So, he’s always fighting himself back after setbacks and he has, unfortunately, had quite a lot because this would have been a great moment for him with Alexander Isak being out and the quality he has, that he could have been with us and helped us in certain moments.
“But unfortunately for him, but also for us, he’s faced a lot of injuries in his career until now. But the good thing about him is that he will fight back and come back and the world will get to know him the moment he’s fit again.”
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