Arne Slot has provided a positive update on Hugo Ekitike's surgery, confirming that the procedure to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon went well, but the Liverpool striker faces a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Ekitike's injury and recovery timeline
The 23-year-old France international sustained the serious injury during Liverpool's Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain and underwent surgery earlier this month. He is unlikely to return to action until 2027, bringing his debut Premier League season to a premature end. Ekitike, who joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69 million last summer, had been the club's leading scorer with 11 goals before the injury.
Speaking on Friday, Slot said: "The surgery went well but in such a long rehab process there are so many steps that need to be made. Experts will tell you this will take multiple months and then it depends on the steps. We don't know yet but the first and most important step is surgery went well."
The Dutchman added: "Recovery is going to take a long time but he will be back stronger like all the others who have been out a long time - Giovanni Leoni has become a beast!"
Alexander Isak's return softens the blow
The return of club-record signing Alexander Isak has helped mitigate the impact of Ekitike's absence. The Sweden international had been sidelined with a fractured leg. Liverpool fans have yet to see the best of the former Newcastle striker, who arrived at Anfield short on match fitness after a transfer dispute. However, Slot believes Isak is nearing full sharpness and that his participation in the World Cup with Sweden this summer could be beneficial.
"The World Cup won't hinder him," Slot said. "What would be the best scenario, not 100 per cent, a very good pre-season of six weeks would have been very good lead up, but if he has a good World Cup and plays a lot of games then that will be helpful. Usually tempo at international level is lower than Premier League but I'm happy he is back. He has had a lot of months without training with the team. In the middle of season when everyone else is fit, it's not easy to come back, but we are seeing progress. I don't know when his best level will be, but I'm hoping for ourselves and him it's very soon."
