Liverpool's new striker Hugo Ekitike will miss the Premier League match against Crystal Palace after being shown a red card for removing his shirt during the Carabao Cup win over Southampton. The 23-year-old scored the winner in the third-round tie, but his celebration resulted in a second yellow card and subsequent dismissal.
There was initial confusion over whether the ban would be limited to the Carabao Cup, but it has been confirmed that red card suspensions in England apply across all domestic competitions. This means Ekitike will be unavailable for the league fixture, despite the red card coming in a cup tie.
Unlike yellow card accumulations, which are competition-specific, red card bans carry over. European competitions are exempt, so Ekitike would still be eligible for Liverpool's Champions League match against Galatasaray on 30 September even if he received a longer ban.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot criticised his player's actions, saying: 'The first one was already needless and to a certain extent stupid because you have to control your emotions. I told him that if you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute after beating three players and hitting it in the top corner I can maybe understand... but this was needless, not smart, you call it stupid and I call it stupid.'
With Ekitike suspended, Slot may be forced to hand record signing Alexander Isak his first Premier League start. The Swedish striker has been gradually introduced to first-team action but could feature against Crystal Palace, who defeated Liverpool on penalties in the Community Shield before Isak's arrival.
