Liverpool’s New Blow: Slot’s Injury Woes Ahead of Fulham Showdown
4 January 2026
Injury setback for Slot ahead of Fulham clash
Arne Slot, Liverpool's boss, faces another setback as the Reds prepare for a Premier League battle with Fulham.
According to The Mirror, Hugo Ekitike has been ruled out of the trip to Craven Cottage due to a minor fitness issue described by Liverpool.
Liverpool were already missing attacking options with Alexander Isak still sidelined and Mohamed Salah currently with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Slot explained that Ekitike suffered a hamstring strain as a result of the heavy fixture load, which forced him to miss the journey to Craven Cottage.
Slot also noted that Ekitike had eight goals in 18 league appearances but had gone without scoring in the last two matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United.
“Alexander Isak has been out for several weeks, so Hugo had to play more minutes than he would normally this season,” Slot commented, outlining how the workload contributed to the strain.
He added: “For a player his age who hasn't fully trained with the Premier League, the burden was a bit much, which is why he is out today. We hope he can return for Arsenal, but that's not confirmed yet.”
The Fulham vs Liverpool fixture is scheduled for January 4, 2026, with a 16:00 kickoff at Craven Cottage, and the match remains a key test for Slot’s evolving squad dynamics.
Ekitike had eight goals in 18 league appearances, but had been quiet in the last two games against Wolves and Leeds United.
"Isak’s absence has pushed Hugo into more minutes, and we’ve seen the physical toll,” Slot added, underscoring the challenge of balancing a busy schedule.
With Salah also tied to Egypt duties, the path to goals for Liverpool remains a test of depth and strategic choices for Slot as the Fulham clash looms.
Injury updates are never the fun part of a press conference, but they do make the bench look a little more interesting—until the whistle blows, of course.
Punchline 1: If injuries were a transfer window, Liverpool would still be waiting for paperwork to arrive—from the hospital, obviously.
Punchline 2: They say "play the kids"—great, as long as the kids know where the goal is, and the dressing room isn’t a maze of arrows to the medical room.
