Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has joined up with France despite being forced off with a dead leg during the 2-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
The French international sparked fresh injury worries for Arne Slot after he emotionally limped off after an early reducer by former Reds midfielder James Milner. Ekitike has been pictured gingerly walking into Les Bleus' Clairefontaine camp today, with his boots in hand, ahead of their preparations in America.
Since December, Liverpool have been without Alexander Isak after breaking his leg against Tottenham Hotspur. The Swede is edging closer on his comeback trail but injury to Ekitike would leave the Reds significantly light in central attacking areas.
The 23-year-old is Liverpool's top goalscorer with 17 goals and six assists in all competitions, including 11 in his first season in the Premier League.
However, after the defeat - that left Liverpool five points off the top four - the Reds head coach allayed fears of a longer term injury problem for Ekitike.
He said: "Hugo could play tomorrow if he had to. It was a dead leg. It was a collision that led to him going off. It was not helpful."
Danny Welbeck's double downed Liverpool with Milos Kerkez reducing the deficit at the AMEX Stadium but age old problems for Slot came back to haunt the Dutchman in another abject performance.
For Ekitike, he will be hoping to shrug off the knock and cement his place in Didier Deschamps' plans for the forthcoming World Cup in North America.
The former Eintracht Frankfurt striker was handed his first senior call-up in September, where he impressed for the two-time winners of the prestigious international tournament and has been included in the last three squads.
Deschamps said in November: "Hugo Ekitike is also gaining confidence.
"He’s a young player, with a lot of dynamism. He has the ability to break through with his speed. These are attacking elements that are adding to the squad."
Months before the tournament begins, France will be embarking on a tour of the region as they take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil at Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium on 26 March before facing Colombia at Landover’s Northwest Stadium on March 29.
The positivity from the comprehensive win over Galatasaray, in which Ekitike was on target, was quickly extinguished on Saturday on the South Coast.
Defeat to Fabian Hurzeler's side leaves Liverpool five points off Aston Villa in fourth, while holding a slender one-point advantage over sixth-place Chelsea, while both Brentford and Everton pose a late surge for the European places.
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