Liverpool hit with Hugo Ekitike injury blow as Mohamed Salah gets PSG nod
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Mohamed Salah was brought on as a first-half substitute for Hugo Ekitike during Liverpool's Champions League reverse with PSG at Anfield on Tuesday evening - the Reds suffering another injury blowHugo Ekitike was stretchered off the pitch early into Liverpool's Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening, in a major injury worry for the Reds. The forward lost his footing around 30 minutes into the game while chasing a threaded ball from Dominik Szoboszlai.Ekitike was spotted immediately holding his right leg, writing in pain as he lay on the turf of Anfield.
Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, was given the nod to replace Ekitike, as chants echoed from the Kop to welcome the 'Egyptian King.'Moments later, PSG suffered an injury issue of their own, as Nuno Mendes was spotted moving gingerly before sitting on the turf as the ball went out of play. The Portuguese full-back looked dejected as he made his way over to the PSG dugout, with Lucas Hernandez coming on in his place.It comes as Liverpool were fully aware of the shift needed from their first-team squad should they hope to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
The Reds suffered a 2-0 loss to PSG in the first-leg of the last eight last week at the Parc des Princes.On that occasion, Desire Doue and Kvicha Kvaratshkelia made the difference to give the Ligue 1 titans the advantage headed to Merseyside.To give them the best opportunity to turn the tide on Tuesday evening, Slot opted to start both Ekitike and Alexander Isak - with the Swede recently returning to action following his leg fracture in December.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageHowever, the team were forced to rely on Salah in the wake of Ekitike's injury, functioning primarily on his favoured right-hand side rather than as an out and out centre forward.It comes as Liverpool are currently plagued by player injury, at such a crucial part of the season.Giorgi Mamardashvili has been forced to step up for the past couple of weeks on account of Alisson recovering from an injury, while Slot may still be looking to limit Isak's minutes through his recent recovery.Wataru Endo and Conor Bradley are also expected to be out for the rest of 2025/26 as a result of their respective ankle and knee injuries, while Giovanni Leoni has not featured since his debut in September owing to an ACL injury.On top of their Champions League duties, Liverpool have just six matches left to make a difference in the Premier League this term.Up next for the Reds is their first trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton in the Merseyside Derby come Sunday, April 19, before they return to Anfield to play Crystal Palace next Saturday.A bitter clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford, as well as matches against Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brentford make up May's fixtures, as the Reds vie for their place in Europe for the fresh season.