Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike is expected to be out for a long time after rupturing his Achilles tendon earlier this month and requiring surgery.
Hugo Ekitike recently ruptured his Achilles tendon and underwent surgery.
Arne Slott said Hugo Ekitike’s surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon “went well” but stressed that Liverpool’s young striker faces a long road to recovery.
Ekitike suffered a serious injury in the recent Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and is not expected to return until 2027, with the 23-year-old France international undergoing surgery earlier this month. The injury ended Ekitike’s first season in the Premier League prematurely, and was a huge blow to both club and country with the World Cup just around the corner.
Ekitike, signed for £69 million from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, impressed at Anfield and was the Reds’ top scorer with 11 goals before his injury.
And while Liverpool fans won’t be seeing Ekitike on the pitch any time soon, Slott admitted everything is going to plan with the surgeon.
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“The surgery went well, but with such a long rehabilitation process there is so much to do,” the Dutchman said on Friday.
“Experts will say this will take several months and then it will depend on the procedure. We don’t know yet, but the first and most important step is that the surgery was successful.
“It will take a long time to recover, but like all players who have been out for a long time, he will come back stronger. (Giovanni) Leoni has become a beast!”
The return of Alexander Isak, the club’s biggest-ever transfer signing, has helped cushion some of the blow from Ekitike’s injury. The Swedish star was sidelined with a broken leg.
Alexander Isak’s return from injury gives Liverpool new attacking options (Image: Michael Regan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool fans are yet to see the best of the former Newcastle striker, who went on strike to force a transfer and arrived at Anfield lacking match fitness. However, Slott believes he is close to playing a full game and believes Isak’s participation in the World Cup with Sweden this summer could also be a positive.
“The World Cup is not going to hinder (Isac),” Slott also said on Friday. “What is the best scenario, not 100 per cent? Six weeks of very good pre-season would be very good preparation, but if he does well at the World Cup and plays a lot of games, that will help.”
“Typically the tempo at international level is lower than in the Premier League, but we are happy to have him back. He hasn’t trained with the team for months. It’s not easy to come back mid-season when other players are fit, but we feel we are making progress. We don’t know when his best level will be, but we hope it comes soon for us and for him.”
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