Florian Wirtz was forced to withdraw from Liverpool's Premier League match at Nottingham Forest after sustaining an injury during the warm-up. The German international was seen in discussion with coaching staff on the pitch, shaking his head, before walking down the tunnel. He later reappeared to watch the game from behind the Liverpool dugout.
Wirtz was replaced in the starting XI by Curtis Jones, who moved into midfield, while Dominik Szoboszlai shifted to defence. Arne Slot, speaking after Liverpool's 1-0 victory, said the decision was precautionary. 'We don't think it is very serious, but he felt his back too much during the warm-up to start,' Slot explained. 'We hope and expect he will be able to be with us again next week.'
Wirtz has been a key figure for Liverpool in recent weeks, registering 11 goal involvements in his past 18 appearances across all competitions. Jamie Carragher, analysing the game on Sky Sports, described the withdrawal as 'a big blow,' noting that Wirtz has been 'the one knitting everything together' for the team.
Liverpool's win at the City Ground moved them level on points with Chelsea and Manchester United at the top of the table. The result was secured by a dramatic late goal, but the focus will now be on Wirtz's fitness ahead of next week's fixtures.
