Paul Gorst provides Hugo Ekitike injury update | OneFootball

Ekitike Injury Update Leaves Liverpool Facing Forward Questions

Crutches Show Reality Behind Return Talk

Hugo Ekitike’s Liverpool story was supposed to be moving into its second act by now. Instead, it remains caught in the slow, awkward space between optimism and medical reality.

The French forward was one of Liverpool’s most reliable new arrivals last season, offering sharp movement, clever link play and a level of consistency that made him feel less like a gamble and more like a plan. Then came the injury against PSG in the Champions League, one that ended his campaign and ruled him out of France’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Reports have suggested Ekitike is targeting a Boxing Day return, yet the latest update underlines why Liverpool cannot afford to build their early-season plans around that date.

Liverpool Cannot Wait for Ekitike

Speaking on The Blood Red podcast, journalist Paul Gorst addressed the situation directly.

“I think there was an acceptance as well that when Ekitike got his long term injury, that you might need to do a little bit more reinforcing of the depth in those forward areas because there was a report this week that he is targeting a return on Boxing Day, which is strangely specific, but he’s still got the aid of his crutches at the moment.

“So Liverpool not really going to have him to count on for a few months. So they needed someone else on top of the obvious one of replacing Mo Salah.”

That is the key point. A target date is not a guarantee. Boxing Day may be pencilled in, whispered about or internally hoped for, yet a player still using crutches in June is not someone Liverpool can treat as imminent depth.

For a club trying to reshape its attack after Mohamed Salah’s departure, Ekitike’s injury creates a practical problem. It removes a high-level option, reduces rotation and forces Liverpool into the market with greater urgency.

Munoz Versatility Offers Partial Cover

Victor Munoz has already arrived, and his flexibility matters. Used as a second striker and centre-forward by CA Osasuna, he gives Liverpool options beyond one fixed role. He could act as cover for Alexander Isak, or allow Cody Gakpo to be used more often through the middle.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool’s continued interest in Yan Diomande also makes sense in this context. Diomande can operate from either flank, having impressed on both the left and right for RB Leipzig, and that kind of profile becomes more valuable when Ekitike is unavailable.

Forward Depth Now Shapes Liverpool’s Summer

Ekitike may still have a major Liverpool future. His first season offered enough evidence of talent, temperament and tactical usefulness. The concern is not quality, it is availability.

For Liverpool, the injury update does not change the long-term view of the player. It changes the summer calculation. If he returns around Boxing Day, that is useful. If he takes longer, Liverpool must already have protected themselves.

A title challenge cannot be planned around crutches and hope.