Arne Slot admits Hugo Ekitike injury 'doesn't look good' & explains subbing Alexander Isak at half-time in Liverpool's Champions League defeat to PSG

The night took a devastating turn for Liverpool when Ekitike went down without contact while sprinting. The striker, who arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for €95 million last summer, received lengthy treatment on the pitch before being carried off.

"Hugo, we all saw on the video and clips, that doesn't look good," Slot said post-match. "For 88 minutes [before] tonight we have played with Florian [Wirtz], Alex and Hugo. We added about 27 to that tonight and I would be surprised if we add more minutes to that this season. The good thing is Alex is back." 

Defender Ibrahima Konate echoed his manager's concerns, stating he was praying for his team-mate during what he described as a "very serious" situation.

While Ekitike’s departure was forced, Isak’s substitution at the interval was a pre-planned tactical decision. The Sweden international was making his first start in four months following a long-term leg and ankle injury, but he struggled to get involved in the game, recording just five touches before being replaced by Slot at the break.

"I don't think that was realistic," Slot explained regarding asking Isak to play beyond 45 minutes. "I said before the game that if you go to extra time and he plays the second half and plays 45 minutes, there are only two minutes in between before extra time comes up for half-an-hour. Because we already had to make the first substitution in the first half, I didn't want to make the second substitution five minutes after halftime. That's why I took him off at halftime."

Despite his limited impact on the ball, Slot was quick to defend the performance of his £125 million striker. "He was twice close to a goal and that's why you play a striker of his level," the Liverpool boss insisted. "It's good to have him back. He was ready and if I thought he wasn't ready then I wouldn't have played him. If you compare us today to last week, I think it's fair to say he was completely ready to play otherwise you can't play a first half as we did."

The 2-0 defeat to the French champions ended Liverpool's European journey. With Ekitike potentially ruled out for the remainder of the campaign the burden of scoring goals will now fall heavily back onto Isak and the rest of the Reds' attacking corps. Slot will remain hopeful that Isak’s return to fitness will offset the loss of Ekitike, though the severity of the Frenchman's injury remains the primary concern for the medical staff. Liverpool will now conduct further assessments to confirm the extent of the damage, but the mood surrounding the club remains sombre as they balance a European exit with the loss of one of their most expensive assets.