Liverpool lost 2-1 to Brighton in Saturday’s opening Premier League kick-off, but the result was made worse by Hugo Ekitike’s limping off in the opening minutes.
Hugo Ekitike left injured early in the match against Brighton (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Manager Arne Slott has dismissed fears that Hugo Ekitike will suffer a serious injury after the Liverpool striker was sent off against Brighton. Ekitike had a clash on Saturday and was forced to be substituted early in the match, which they lost 2-1.
The striker was injured in a challenge with former Liverpool player James Milner in the opening minutes. He appeared to have injured his thigh and although he tried to continue playing, he was forced to be replaced by Curtis Jones.
This was a big blow to Liverpool on the south coast, and despite a goal from Milos Kerkes, they lost with two goals from Danny Welbeck. The Reds were already without Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker for this game, with Ekitike’s injury further reducing his minutes.
Thankfully, Slott said the Frenchman did not suffer a long-term injury. “If necessary, Hugo will be able to play tomorrow,” Slott said in the post-match press conference. “His legs were dead. There was a collision and he fell. It was useless.”
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“Everyone knows, players and fans alike, that there are only eight games left to qualify for the Champions League,” he told TNT Sports.
“It’s frustrating every game you have to miss. For him to have to go so early and not be able to help the team in some way was just a bit of bad luck, but as far as we know it’s not enough to warrant him being out for three months.
“It was bad enough not to be able to continue and it was a big blow for him and ultimately a big blow for us as well.”
Hugo Ekitike looked disappointed as he was sent off (Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool’s performance was poor, as they were unable to move past Aston Villa into fourth place or build on the momentum of their 4-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League. Despite losing to Brighton, Brighton have won four of their last five league games and moved up to eighth place.
“As a result of playing like this in Europe, we lost a lot of points. I have already tried to explain many times why this is the case,” Slott said. “But I have to give Brighton credit today. I thought they were the better team in the second half.”
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