Alexander Isak is one of the Liverpool forwards that will be asked to shoulder more responsibility in Hugo Ekitike’s absence, but the latest update around the Frenchman is at least encouraging.
The 23-year-old ruptured his Achilles against PSG last month, ending his season and ruling him out of France’s World Cup campaign.
Now we’ve seen the first signs of Liverpool putting a detailed long-term recovery plan in place.
A post shared by Berengar Buschmann (@physiober)
German physiotherapist Berengar Buschmann has shared images from Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre on Instagram, including one slide that referenced a “Hugo Ekitike Achilles Rupture Repair Long Term Plan Review”.
Writing alongside the post, Buschmann said: “Communication is key. Inside or outside, one side: the player. Never count the miles, when going the extra mile is part of who you are. The grind behind…”
That doesn’t give supporters a timeline, but it does show the work has already started behind the scenes after such a devastating injury.
Ekitike was also pictured driving Buschmann into the training ground, which suggests the France international is fully engaged in the process from the very beginning.
Slot said last month that the surgery had gone well, while also warning that this will be a long rehab process with several crucial steps before any return date becomes clear.
That caution is understandable because Jermaine Pennant has already described an Achilles rupture as “one of the worst injuries you can have”, adding that it can be “50/50 whether he comes back the same player” if it’s a bad one.
Liverpool, though, are said to be confident that Ekitike can return to his previous level after successful surgery, which is important given the investment made in the former Eintracht Frankfurt forward.
He had scored 17 goals and provided six assists in 45 appearances before the injury, showing enough quality to suggest he can still become a major part of our attack.
For now, Cody Gakpo, Isak and others must carry the load, but this AXA update is a welcome reminder that Ekitike’s comeback has already begun.
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