Why Hugo Ekitike Isn’t Playing for Liverpool vs. Arsenal

Liverpool’s top scorer this season is missing for the second game running.

No Hugo Ekitiké for Liverpool. / Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Hugo Ekitiké is absent from the Liverpool squad for the second game running, as the Reds face Premier League leaders at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.

Ekitiké missed the weekend draw against Fulham, with Cody Gakpo replacing the Frenchman at the sharp end of Liverpool’s attack and scoring what everyone inside Craven Cottage thought was a late winner. Harrison Reed had other ideas, arrowing an even later equaliser into the top corner.

Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed

So far, Ekitiké has represented the best of Liverpool’s record-breaking 2025 summer transfer window, arguably the only signing who can be considered an outright success at this stage. He cost £79 million (106.1 million) to prise away from Eintracht Frankfurt but has repaid that with goals.

It’s 11 across all competitions in a Liverpool shirt, including five in his last five Premier League appearances. His output and form have been particularly crucial, in an otherwise challenging season for the club, given Alexander Isak’s struggles this season and subsequent broken leg.

---

Hugo Ekitiké Recovering From Muscle Soreness

Ekitiké was ruled out of facing Fulham as a result of delayed onset muscle soreness, otherwise known as DOMS, believed to be affecting his hamstring.

The striker travelled to London for the game, reportedly not receiving scan results until he was on the plane there, but then did not feature.

When Arne Slot answered media questions on Wednesday morning, he explained that Ekitiké had not trained with the rest of the Liverpool squad all week up to that point, the day before the game.

---

Cody Gakpo Makes Way for Florian Wirtz

Team news is in for tonight's clash against Arsenal 💪 #ARSLIV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 8, 2026

The pregame expectation was that Cody Gakpo would continue to deputise in the No. 9 role, but that proved not to be the case. When things got underway, Gakpo was on the left and Florian Wirtz, who had been in the No. 10 position against Fulham, pushed up a ‘false nine’ instead.

---

When Will Hugo Ekitiké Return for Liverpool?

This is not a major injury for Ekitiké to deal with. Slot implied that had Liverpool not been playing every few days, his No. 9 might have already been back in action—the opportunity to rejoin sessions when everything is geared around match preparation is lessened.

“I’ve said, I think, two or three days ago when we played Fulham, that he is not going to be out for long,” Slot explained. “But, because games come so fast, he is in between maybe training with the team or it would take him one or two days extra.”

---

READ THE LATEST LIVERPOOL NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS AND MORE

feed