Liverpool manager Arne Slot has told Hugo Ekitike how he must improve after extra responsibility was placed on the Frenchman following a serious injury setback for Alexander Isak.
Ekitike was expected to be Liverpool’s second-choice No 9 after he and Isak both moved to Anfield in the summer during a record-breaking transfer window for Premier League clubs.
But Isak arrived unfit and Ekitike took advantage of his additional playing time to become one of Liverpool’s most important players. Ekitike is Liverpool’s leading scorer this season with 12 goals in 24 games. He has also provided two assists.
Both Ekitike and Isak scored on Saturday as Liverpool won 2-1 at nine-man Tottenham. However, Isak broke his left leg in the process of finding the net after being on the receiving end of a strong challenge from Micky van de Ven.
Slot said on Tuesday that Isak would be out for “a couple of months”.
How many Liverpool games will Alexander Isak miss after breaking his leg?
If Slot is correct with his initial prognosis that Isak will be sidelined for two months, then the Swede will miss at least 13 games.
He will miss even more if Liverpool get past Barnsley in the FA Cup and/or have to play in the Champions League play-off round.
Liverpool’s current fixtures during the next two months
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 27, 2025 | Wolves (h) | Premier League |
| Jan 01, 2026 | Leeds (h) | Premier League |
| Jan 04, 2026 | Fulham (a) | Premier League |
| Jan 08, 2026 | Arsenal (a) | Premier League |
| Jan 12, 2026 | Barnsley (h) | FA Cup |
| Jan 17, 2026 | Burnley (h) | Premier League |
| Jan 21, 2026 | Marseille (a) | Champions League |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Bournemouth (a) | Premier League |
| Jan 28, 2026 | Qarabag (h) | Champions League |
| Jan 31, 2026 | Newcastle (h) | Premier League |
| Feb 08, 2026 | Man City (h) | Premier League |
| Feb 11, 2026 | Sunderland (a) | Premier League |
| Feb 21, 2026 | N Forest (a) | Premier League |
Arne Slot wants more from Hugo Ekitike
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday to preview Liverpool’s home game with Wolves on December 27, Slot demanded more from Ekitike.
Discussing the 23-year-old, who is now set to play more minutes than previously expected in the coming months as a result of Isak’s injury, Slot said: “He still needs to get stronger.
“But he’s already become stronger. He is fast. He can score goals. He has great footwork and dribbling. He has plenty in his locker.
“He has already adapted to the Premier League. The biggest thing he can do is to make sure he can become physically outstanding. That’s what he is working on very hard. Same with him, he was very, very tired in the last few minutes of the Tottenham game.
“I see this more often, but that might be because they hardly have any rest, because we don’t have so many chances to rotate and they fight every single time.”
Ekitike vs Isak in the Premier League this season
| Ekitike | Isak | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 16 | 10 |
| Starts | 11 | 6 |
| Minutes | 962 | 508 |
| Goals | 8 | 2 |
| Assists | 1 | 1 |
| Mins per goal or assist | 107 mins | 169 mins |
Ekitike has scored four times as many goals as Isak in the Premier League this season.
Despite this — and even with the Swede possibly ruled out until March, if not later — Slot insisted that Isak could still have a big role to play before the 2025/26 campaign is over.
However, Slot also admitted that Isak’s start to life at Anfield had been tough. Isak arrived from Newcastle on deadline day, having missed out on a full pre-season with his former club after effectively going on strike in an attempt to force a move to Liverpool.
Slot said: “It’s been a really challenging and difficult period for him, I think.
“You join a new club and usually when you join a new club you are, and he was of course, very excited and you want to show immediately all the qualities you have — but that was simply impossible.
“Maybe no-one understands, but if you haven’t trained for three or four months at a serious level with the team and you’re playing in this league… you need to be at the top of your game to impact a match.
“That took — which we all knew — months before we could bring him there, because there was no pre-season. There were games, games, games.
“We had hardly any time to train, so we always knew that it would take him time. That’s why he is so unlucky that he is now injured, because I think we all saw with his goal against West Ham, and this goal [against Tottenham], that he was getting closer and closer to the player he was at Newcastle.”
Chelsea and Man City locked in battle for Zadok Yohanna as Newcastle fall behind- Tottenham target Harry Wilson after standout season with 19 goal involvements
- Liverpool Star Opens Up on Depression After Diogo Jota Loss in Emotional Interview
- Roma set to receive more money from Riccardo Calafiori’s Arsenal transfer
- Zielinski appears to confirm Dumfries to Real Madrid and drops Lewandowski Serie A hint
- Juventus Shortlist Six Strikers to Replace Dusan Vlahovic
- INEOS identify Morgan Rogers as long-term Bruno Fernandes successor at Man Utd
- Roma line up opening offer for Mason Greenwood as top target named
- Real Madrid reportedly strike £120m agreement for Enzo Fernandez
- Paul Scholes Says Marcus Rashford Should Make Shock Arsenal Move
