Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed concern over Hugo Ekitike's injury, describing it as "really bad" after the French forward was stretchered off during the team's Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The injury occurred just before the half-hour mark, with Ekitike clutching his right ankle area in visible pain.
He was replaced by Mohamed Salah and later left the stadium, with Slot suggesting the injury was "not good" and fearing a potential Achilles injury. Speaking to the media, Slot stated, "He's not good. We could all see that it didn't look good.
He went home in the second half so I haven't seen him yet." The manager acknowledged the challenges of losing a player, especially at this time of the season, and expressed hope that the team can learn from the experience. Ekitike has scored 19 goals for Liverpool and France this season and was likely to feature for his country at the World Cup if fit. The Reds' Champions League quarter-final exit was sealed with a 2-0 second-leg loss to PSG, but Slot found positives in the team's performance, saying, "We made a lot of progression compared to last week. I have to give a lot of credit to the players, how hard they worked." Liverpool's attention now turns to ensuring they qualify for next season's Champions League, starting with Sunday's derby against Everton.