A difficult afternoon on the south coast may have felt like another blow in a frustrating run for us, but fresh footage of Hugo Ekitike suggests the injury concern that disrupted our game against Brighton might not be as serious as first feared.
Just days after being forced off early and leaving the pitch visibly emotional, the French forward has now been seen reporting for international duty.
Sorti sur blessure avec Liverpool, Hugo Ekitike est bien présent avec les Bleus ! pic.twitter.com/VcBU825Rwq
— L'Équipe (@lequipe) March 23, 2026
As shown in a video shared via L’Equipe on X, our No.22 has linked up with his national side without any obvious sign of a significant issue.
That development aligns with what Arne Slot said immediately after the defeat at the Amex, when the Dutch head coach made it clear the problem was not expected to be long-term.
“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.”
Given how concerning the moment looked in real time, with the 23-year-old striker leaving the pitch in tears, this is a welcome update for us heading into a crucial run of fixtures.
Even if the injury now appears minor, the impact on the match itself was undeniable.
Ekitike’s early withdrawal completely disrupted the attacking structure that had started to show promise following the midweek win over Galatasaray, forcing a reshuffle that left us short of options and balance for the majority of the game.
That context matters when looking back at the performance, especially when you consider the reaction inside the stadium as well.
Brighton supporters were heard jeering as the France international made his way off, despite it quickly becoming clear that he was genuinely struggling after the collision with James Milner.
It was a moment that summed up the frustration of the afternoon, both in terms of how quickly things unravelled on the pitch and how little seemed to go in our favour once that early disruption hit.
The positive now is that, while the defeat still stings, Ekitike’s presence at Clairefontaine suggests we won’t be without one of our key attacking options for long.
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