EKITIKE FITNESS: ARNE SLOT DELIVERS ESSENTIAL INJURY CONFIRMATION

New Liverpool signing Hugo Ekitike suffers a back injury, adding to Arne Slot's woes after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSV.

Ekitike Fitness: Arne Slot Delivers Essential Injury Confirmation
Ekitike Injury Adds Pressure to Slot's Struggle

Liverpool's manager, Arne Slot, said that Hugo Ekitike, whom they signed this summer, hurt his back during their 4-1 loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Ekitike, 23, started for Liverpool but was subbed out for Alexander Isak after about an hour. At that point, Liverpool was behind 2-1. Ekitike didn't have a big impact on the game before PSV scored two more goals. PSV is only the second team to ever score four or more goals at Anfield in a European game.

This loss is Liverpool’s ninth in their last 12 games in all competitions. They've now lost three games in a row by three goals, which puts even more pressure on Slot after a tough start.

Ekitike might not be able to play in Sunday’s game against West Ham. This match is very important for Liverpool to win, so they can stop their losing streak.

Slot will probably give more updates before the game. After the PSV loss, he said that Ekitike had to stop playing because of his back.

Slot said he noticed something was wrong with Ekitike at the start of the second half and that he wasn't moving as well as he was in the first half, which affected their pressing.

Ekitike said he felt his back hurting in the first 5 to 10 minutes of the first half, which is why he had to be taken out.

During his 61 minutes on the field, Ekitike took four shots (two on target) and had only 30 touches.

The last time Ekitike scored was in October against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Liverpool plays West Ham at Anfield on Sunday. It's not sure if Ekitike will be able to play as Liverpool tries to avoid losing a third straight home game and a fourth game in a row overall.

MOHAMED SALAH SET TO LEAVE LIVERPOOL: FENERBAHCE PREPARE STUNNING THREE-YEAR CONTRACT OFFER

After a decade at Anfield, Mohamed Salah's next move is the talk of football. Will he join Messi or stay in European leagues?

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Salah Rejects Saudi Millions - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah looks set to leave Liverpool this summer, and it sounds like he wants to stay in Europe. One of the hottest rumours right now is about Fenerbahçe; they’re ready to offer him a three-year deal worth around £52 million. That’s a huge pay packet, but probably not as big as what he’d get in Saudi Arabia.

Salah’s been on Merseyside for almost a decade, and it’s hard to overstate just how much he’s done for Liverpool. Since joining in 2017 with Jurgen Klopp in charge, he’s picked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League medal, an FA Cup, and two League Cups. Pretty impressive, honestly. But this season hasn’t gone his way, and new boss Arne Slot dropped him for a few games after his form dipped. When Salah announced in March that he’d be leaving, people started up with transfer rumours right away.

In recent years, clubs from the Saudi Pro League have shown considerable interest. Last year, Al Ittihad went as far as slapping a £150 million offer on the table, but Liverpool turned it down.

Now the story goes that Salah wants to stay in Europe even though he’d pocket way more in Saudi Arabia. Reports out of Egypt claim Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho’s old club, have already sat down with Salah’s agent. They apparently laid out their big plans, offering £17.3 million a year with a three-year contract, and they want to build the team around him to end their league title drought stretching back to 2014.

There’s also talk of Real Madrid getting involved. Still, their transfer policy usually steers clear of handing massive contracts to players pushing the end of their careers, even superstars like Salah. Clubs in Italy, like Roma, Juventus, and Inter Milan, are keeping tabs on him too. And just to make things more interesting, someone floated the idea of Salah joining up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami in the MLS, though the league's salary cap throws a wrench into that.

At this point, everybody’s watching Salah’s next move; the only certainty is that he won’t be short of offers when he finally says goodbye to Liverpool.

WHY IS LIVERPOOL HESITATING TO HIRE XABI ALONSO DESPITE OVERWHELMING FAN SUPPORT?

Liverpool has contacted Real Madrid to investigate Xabi Alonso’s tenure, as pressure grows on current manager Arne Slot at Anfield.

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Liverpool Seek "Inside Scoop" From Madrid On Alonso’s Sacking Background - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Liverpool have reached out to Real Madrid to ask about Xabi Alonso, but honestly, there’s some debate going on behind the scenes. People have been talking about Alonso stepping in at Anfield, especially since Arne Slot’s season hasn’t gone over well. Fans let out some boos after that 1-1 draw with Chelsea, and the mood is pretty tense. Even though Slot led Liverpool to a league title last year, quite a few supporters seem fed up with him and would rather see Alonso take charge.

But Spanish outlet AS says Liverpool have contacted Real Madrid to get the inside scoop on what happened during Alonso’s time at the club. It sounds like the decision-makers at Liverpool are starting to feel unsure about him, and they might actually stick with Slot for another season.

Alonso landed the Real Madrid job last summer after doing wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. Still, just six months in, Madrid let him go, reportedly because the locker room was falling apart. Liverpool’s relationship with Real Madrid is strong, and they apparently want some honest feedback – kind of like asking for a reference from a past employer, which isn’t unusual.

Liverpool’s spot in next year’s Champions League is almost locked in, but with two games left, it’s not guaranteed yet. When asked about the boos, Slot admitted he has some work to do to win fans over.

He said, “Not this season. Fans won’t change their minds now. But if we get the summer we’re planning, I’m convinced we’ll be a different team next season. Results, style, everything. It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you know what needs fixing, but getting what you want isn’t so simple. This season, it’s been pretty clear what we’re missing. We’re trying to solve it, but one issue is simply having enough fit players. Still, our guys show every week in the second half that they’re giving everything they’ve got.”

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