Arne Slot labeled the injury to French forward Hugo Ekitike as "really bad" after the striker was taken off on a stretcher during Liverpool's Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. The incident occurred early in the second half, just before the 30‑minute mark, when Ekitike collapsed to the ground clutching his right ankle and showing clear signs of distress.
With no one nearby to assist, teammates quickly gathered around him, and medical staff attended to the injured player before he was lifted onto a stretcher and replaced by Mohamed Salah. Slot, speaking to Amazon Prime, expressed his concern, saying, "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." He added that the situation was worrying because the club had already lost several players to injury this season, and the timing was particularly cruel given the approach of the World Cup. "Losing a game is hard but losing a player is something we've had many times this season. It's very hard for him at this time of the season," Slot remarked.
In the post‑match press conference, the Dutch manager reiterated his worries: "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. Let's see, but it doesn't look good is clear." The uncertainty surrounding the severity of the injury has sparked speculation that Ekitike may have damaged his Achilles tendon, an injury that could sideline him for months and jeopardise his chances of representing France at the upcoming World Cup.
Ekitike has been an important contributor for Liverpool this season, netting 19 goals across all competitions for both club and country. His potential absence would be a significant blow to Jurgen Klopp's successor, Arne Slot, who has been trying to rebuild the squad after a turbulent period. Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté expressed his sympathy, stating, "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." Beyond the injury drama, Slot tried to find a silver lining in Liverpool's overall performance despite the 2‑0 aggregate defeat.
The Reds entered the second leg with a daunting task after being outclassed in the first match at the Parc des Princes, where PSG's dominance was not fully reflected in the scoreline. Liverpool had hoped to capitalize on several missed opportunities from the French side, but a series of controversial VAR decisions and a disallowed penalty thwarted their comeback hopes. Ousmane Dembélé's brace in the second half sealed PSG's 2‑0 win in the return leg, confirming a 4‑0 aggregate victory and sending the French champions to the semi‑finals.
Nevertheless, Slot highlighted the progress his team had shown compared to the previous week. "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." Slot also acknowledged the team's continued struggles with finishing chances. "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," he explained.
He added that the injury to Ekitike and another unfavorable VAR decision compounded Liverpool's disappointment. "Add to that, as it seems to be a bad injury [to Ekitike].
We don't know for sure yet. Add to that another intervention of the VAR, which went not in our favour and that's also not for the first time this season." Despite the setbacks, Slot remained optimistic about the future. "Of course we are very disappointed because there were parts in the second half where you could just feel if we can score now this is going to become a special night. But 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 a second," he concluded.
Looking ahead, Liverpool's focus will shift from European ambitions to securing a Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League. Their next domestic challenge is a Merseyside derby against Everton on Sunday, a match that could provide crucial points in the race for top‑four.
Sky Sports analyst Tim Sherwood praised Liverpool's overall display, 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." In summary, the night was a mixture of disappointment and hope. While the loss to PSG ended Liverpool's Champions League campaign and the injury to Ekitike casts a shadow over the squad's attacking options, the performance demonstrated resilience and the ability to create opportunities against a top European side. The coming weeks will be crucial as the team navigates the domestic league, manages player fitness, and strives to secure a place in next season's elite competition.