Liverpool's injury crisis deepened on Saturday as striker Hugo Ekitike was forced off just eight minutes into the Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. The French forward, who scored in midweek against Galatasaray, went down after a collision with former Liverpool midfielder James Milner. He briefly returned but soon collapsed again and was replaced by Curtis Jones.
Within ten minutes, Brighton took the lead through Danny Welbeck's close-range finish. The setback compounded Liverpool's problems, having already confirmed Mohamed Salah's absence due to a muscle injury sustained against Galatasaray. Manager Arne Slot expressed hope that Salah, known for his quick recovery, might return after the international break.
Slot also confirmed that goalkeeper Alisson Becker will be out until after the international break with a muscular injury. Alisson posted on Instagram that he is working to return stronger. Other long-term absentees include Alexander Isak, nearing a return after being out since December, and Wataru Endo, Giovanni Leoni, and Conor Bradley, who has a serious knee injury.
