Arne Slot has warned that Hugo Ekitike’s injury looks "really bad" after the French forward was carried off the pitch on a stretcher during Liverpool's Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The incident occurred early in the second half at Anfield, just before the 30‑minute mark, when Ekitike appeared to suffer a serious lower‑leg problem. He fell to the turf alone, clutching the area around his right ankle and visibly grimacing in pain before teammates rushed to his aid.
Medical staff quickly attended to him, and he was subsequently taken off on a stretcher, with Mohamed Salah coming on as his replacement. Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime, said, "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 Liverpool manager added that the injury could be severe, noting fears of an Achilles issue. "It looks really bad but it is difficult for me to say how bad.
Tomorrow we will investigate this further, how bad this is for him," Slot told reporters after the match. He emphasized that losing a player at such a crucial stage of the season is a heavy blow, especially when the team is already dealing with a string of setbacks. Ekitike has been a key contributor for both Liverpool and the French national team this season, tallying 19 goals across all competitions. If he recovers in time, he was expected to be part of France’s squad for the upcoming World Cup.
His teammate Ibrahima Konaté expressed sympathy, saying, "I’m very sad for him. I think it is bad. I don’t know.
I heard many things, but I don’t want to talk about that because with the World Cup, all of the things coming this summer, it’s very hard for him at this moment. I send him my prayers and everything." Despite the disappointment, Slot tried to find a silver lining in Liverpool’s overall performance. The Reds entered the second leg of the quarter‑final with a daunting task after being outplayed in the first leg at the Parc des Princes, where they lost 2‑0 despite the match not reflecting the dominance of the home side.
In the return fixture, PSG missed several chances that could have given Liverpool hope of a comeback, but a controversial VAR decision and decisive interventions from the French side kept the Reds on the back foot. Ousmane Dembélé’s brace in the second half sealed a 2‑0 victory for PSG, completing a 4‑0 aggregate win and sending the French club to the semi‑finals. Slot, however, highlighted the progress his side has made since the first encounter.
"We made a lot of progression compared to last week," he said. "I have to give a lot of credit to the players, how hard they worked.
I have to give a lot of credit to our fans, how they helped us tonight to execute our gameplan. If we have a high press, it’s so helpful if there are fans behind you, to keep on pushing you." He also acknowledged the frustration of failing to convert the numerous chances Liverpool created. "Unfortunately, it’s one of the many examples of this season where we weren’t able to score from the many chances we had. Again, we were so far underperforming in terms of xG [expected goals] and that is just an ongoing thing with us throughout the whole season," Slot explained.
The manager added that the injury to Ekitike, the VAR decision that went against Liverpool, and the overall inability to finish chances were all factors that compounded the disappointment. Looking ahead, Slot remained optimistic about the squad’s future.
"The future looks very bright for this team, because we’ve shown that we can compete with the champions of Europe in our stadium, to be the dominant team. Not many teams can be dominant against Paris Saint‑Germain and generate so many chances as we did.
But, yeah, chances is one thing, scoring is another," he concluded. With the Champions League campaign over, Liverpool’s focus now shifts to securing a place in next season’s European competition as the Premier League season resumes.
Their next match is a Merseyside derby against Everton, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Former player Tim Sherwood, commenting on Sky Sports, praised Liverpool’s performance despite the loss, stating, "Liverpool were the better team tonight. I still think it was a penalty for Liverpool.
There was contact into the back of the leg. He is entitled to go down with that contact. If they play like that, they will 100 per cent qualify for the Champions League.
This tie was lost in the first leg. Why didn’t they go over there and have a go?
Arne Slot needs to qualify for the Champions League to keep his job. But he has to be encouraged by that second‑half performance." The club’s supporters will be hoping that Ekitike recovers swiftly, that the squad can translate the abundance of chances into goals, and that Liverpool can bounce back in the league to secure a top‑four finish and a return to Europe’s elite competition. The season remains long, and the manager’s message is clear: keep working hard, stay resilient, and let the fans’ energy continue to drive the team forward.