Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu says Liverpool’s Wataru Endo recently had surgery and now has his sights set on being fit for this summer’s World Cup. Endo got stretchered off with a foot injury during Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Sunderland back on February 11.

There’s still no clear timeline for Endo’s return. Liverpool boss Arne Slot did sound hopeful earlier, saying the Japan captain could play again before the season ends. But with Endo out, Slot’s now down to just four senior midfielders.

Moriyasu’s latest comments don’t really offer much hope for Liverpool fans wanting to see Endo back soon. Speaking to Nikkan Sports, he said Endo’s working toward being ready for Japan’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands on June 14, three days after the tournament starts.

“I’ve heard he had surgery and that it went well, but I don’t know the full details,” Moriyasu said. “The plan is to have him fit in time for the World Cup, so everyone’s focused on his rehab. He wants to play, the club wants it, and so do we. We’re all on the same page.”

Back on February 13, Slot told reporters that Endo would be out for a good while. “We still need to do some assessments, but he’ll be sidelined for quite a long time,” the 47-year-old said.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk admitted the whole squad is pretty down about Endo’s injury. “It’s a shame; we were all really gutted after the Sunderland game,” Van Dijk said. “I had a similar foot injury when I was at Southampton, and it’s tough to deal with. But we’re here for him; we’ll support him in any way we can.

“It’s not great, he’s such a key part of the team, a real leader. On the pitch, he gives everything, and you could see that in the game. It’s a big blow, but we have to deal with it, and we will. Hopefully he’s not out too long, but honestly, it looks like it’ll be a while.”

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has shared some worrying news about Florian Wirtz’s injury. Slot admits he has no idea when the German midfielder will be back. Wirtz hurt himself while warming up before Liverpool’s Premier League game at Nottingham Forest and won’t play against West Ham this Saturday.

Wirtz is dealing with a back problem. Slot explained after the Forest match that it’s not a “very serious” issue, but Wirtz, the £116 million signing, is still complaining about his back. The club hoped he’d bounce back quickly, but that just hasn’t happened. He’s still stuck in rehab, and there’s no timeline for his return; it could be days, it could be weeks. There’s some good news, though: Jeremie Frimpong is available again for the West Ham match. Still, Wirtz’s absence is a big concern.

Asked about the situation, Slot told reporters, “Jeremie’s trained with us a few times this week. He’s ready. But I don’t expect Florian to play. It’s disappointing. Any time a player’s out, it’s disappointing, especially when I didn’t see it coming after last week.”

When pressed about when Wirtz might return, Slot said, “Right now, I genuinely don’t know. Usually, when I say that, I do know and just don’t want to say. But this time, I honestly have no idea.”

Wirtz’s injury comes at a rough moment. He was finally hitting his best form, scoring six times in his last 13 matches. Slot praised him, saying, “It’s a big deal for Wirtz to have stayed fit this long, especially after stepping up from his old club to the Premier League and Liverpool. It shows a lot about his mentality and work rate. We’re disappointed he’s been playing really well lately.”

That strong run explains why Liverpool spent so much on Wirtz in the summer of 2025. He briefly became the most expensive player in British football until Alexander Isak broke that record. Liverpool has high hopes for him, and so do his agents. They’re convinced he’ll end up on Real Madrid’s radar someday. Apparently, there was already interest from Madrid when Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen.

Wirtz’s agent, Volker Struth, talked about those talks: “This summer, while we were discussing Bayern and Liverpool, I called Xabi Alonso at Real Madrid and told him he had to take Florian. He said he wanted to, but I’d have to go see Florentino Perez. So I wrote to Perez and told him I had the player he needed, Florian Wirtz. But even Real Madrid has a budget. I’m not giving up, though. I hope one day Florian plays for Real Madrid.”