Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitiké has been included in France’s squad for October’s international fixtures, which suggests that he should theoretically be available for his club’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday evening.
The spindly forward was forced off midway through the second half of Liverpool’s sloppy 1–0 loss to Galatasaray on Tuesday, prompting fears that he would join Alisson in the club’s treatment room for this weekend’s significant visit to Stamford Bridge.
Slot played it cool when providing an update on Ekitiké immediately after the Tuesday defeat. “He felt something when he had to reach for the ball,” the Liverpool boss revealed postgame. “He said he couldn’t continue. Let’s see how he is on the weekend.”
Ekitiké’s inclusion in the France squad may not entirely enamour those on Merseyside. Les Bleus boss Didier Deschamps has made an unfortunate habit of selecting players with questionable fitness records only to then lose them to injury during the international break.
The Paris Saint-Germain duo of Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué infamously picked up muscle injuries last month while away with France, much to the fury of their club who publicly challenged Deschamps.
Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga has only just recovered from a lengthy layoff of his own yet finds himself in the same eclectic France squad as the likes of Ekitiké, Al Nassr’s Kingsley Coman and AC Milan newbie Christopher Nkunku.
Will Hugo Ekitike Start Against Chelsea?
Even if Ekitiké is available for Saturday’s trip to west London, it’s likely that Alexander Isak will start through the middle. The record summer arrival was named on the bench for Tuesday’s European tie as Slot tentatively eases him into the first-team setup after missing preseason while on strike at Newcastle United.
There is, of course, the exciting prospect of pairing Ekitiké and Isak together—something which the Frenchman is open to. The pair had previously replaced each other on three occasions before Slot tossed Isak on against Galatasaray as Liverpool chased an equaliser. The unveiling of this tantalising prospect lasted a grand total of six minutes before Ekitiké was forced off.
It remains to be seen if Slot will be tempted to return to that experimentation against a Chelsea side which have endured their own struggles in recent weeks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liverpool Given Major Hugo Ekitike Injury Boost Ahead of Chelsea Showdown.
