Liverpool have been handed a cautiously positive update on Hugo Ekitike after his recent surgery, with Arne Slot confirming the forward has already taken a crucial first step in his recovery.
The 23-year-old suffered a ruptured Achilles earlier this month, an injury that has ruled him out for the rest of the season and this summer’s World Cup, but there is now at least some encouragement from the club.
Speaking via Liverpoolfc.com in his pre-match press conference, the Dutchman provided a detailed update on the striker’s situation following the operation.
Slot explained: “The surgery went well. That’s the first important step that he had to make.”
He was quick to stress, however, that this is only the beginning of what will be a long and uncertain rehabilitation process.
Our head coach added: “But I think in such a long rehab process there are so many crucial steps to be made before you can actually say it’s going to take that amount of months or that amount of months.
“It’s going to take a long time.”
That honesty reflects the reality of an Achilles injury, particularly for a player whose game relies heavily on explosiveness and sharp movement in attacking areas.
Slot also acknowledged that predicting an exact timeline at this stage is almost impossible, especially given the physical demands placed on a forward like the French international.
He said: “Everybody can know that if you call the first surgeon and ask him how long is this injury going to take, they will tell you multiple months…
“He’s a very explosive player so usually that’s not helpful if you have this injury.”
Despite that concern, the Liverpool boss did leave room for optimism, suggesting that the former Eintracht Frankfurt man could still defy expectations.
Slot continued: “But maybe he is the exception to that – we don’t know yet… He will be back stronger.”
That message aligns with what we’ve already heard from Paul Joyce, who confirmed the surgery was successful, while Ekitike himself struck a defiant tone on Instagram, thanking supporters and promising to return.
From our perspective, the focus now has to be on patience, because while this update confirms progress, it also reinforces that we’ll be without one of our most important attacking players for a significant period as he works his way back.
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