Arne Slot has stated he cannot risk overworking Hugo Ekitike after the leading scorer was left out of the squad for the match against Fulham.
Ekitike was a significant absence from the Liverpool lineup, which ended in a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
A last-minute goal from Harrison Reed secured a point for Fulham, leaving Liverpool with their second consecutive league draw. The champions now find themselves 14 points behind Arsenal at the top of the table.
Liverpool officially reported that Ekitike was dealing with a hamstring issue, leading the club to decide against risking the French forward in West London. Slot’s team will next face Arsenal in a crucial Premier League match on Monday night.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the draw and Ekitike’s absence, Slot remarked: “In an away game, scoring two goals should generally be enough to win. This season, we’ve fought hard, thought we had a win, only to concede a stunning goal. We brought in Joe Gomez, but they took a short corner. We let a good result slip away.
“We had our chances in the first half. Cody Gakpo had a similar chance that resulted in a goal. Ideally, we want a Liverpool team that dominates and creates more opportunities. We scored two goals, had two disallowed goals, and hit the bar—yet it still wasn’t enough.
“The players are giving their all. I have to ensure they are available for future matches. With Alexander Isak out, I need to manage Hugo, a player who is new to the Premier League. You have to handle that wisely. We still have 11 capable players on the field.
“It’s not just us; many teams struggle to create chances in every match. It’s not perfect, but at least we created more opportunities today compared to last week.”
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