French-Cameroonian striker Hugo Ekitike doubtful for West Ham after back injury, says Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot says striker Hugo Ekitike picked up a back problem during the Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven, prompting his withdrawal just after the hour mark.

Slot stressed that the issue affected the forward’s movement, leaving the coaching staff with little choice but to replace him.

Ekitike, who has Cameroonian heritage, was taken off in the 61st minute of the 4-1 loss, a decision Slot later explained was driven by clear physical discomfort.

The manager noted that the French forward signalled the problem early in the match, which hampered Liverpool’s pressing and attacking rhythm.

Slot told reporters he sensed something was wrong.

“Especially at the start of the second half, I constantly felt, ‘What’s wrong with Hugo?’ It felt as if he couldn’t move as he did the first half. So, that’s why our press was, I think, also a little bit off.

“And he just told me that in the first five to 10 minutes of the first half he already felt his back too much.

“That’s also why he had to go out.”

Ekitike’s exit came during another difficult European night for Liverpool, who have now lost nine of their last twelve matches in all competitions.

His replacement, Alexander Isak, could not alter the tide as PSV punished a hesitant Liverpool defence and dominated large stretches of the game.

The injury casts doubt on Ekitike’s availability for Sunday’s Premier League match against West Ham United.

The champions desperately need a result as pressure grows amid a historic slump.

Liverpool have conceded at least three goals in three straight defeats and are experiencing their worst run of form in more than seven decades.

The atmosphere at Anfield was tense as PSV cruised to a deserved victory, piling further scrutiny on Slot only six months after he guided Liverpool to the league title.