Slot says Liverpool missed forward players in defeat to Brighton – and provides injury update on duo | OneFootball

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says his side’s attacking absences hurt them in their 2-1 defeat to Brighton.

Slot was without Mo Salah for the game, along with long-term absentee Alexander Isak.

Hugo Ekitike, meanwhile, was forced off in the opening stages of the game with a dead leg.

And Slot says Brighton took advantage of his side’s lack of rest.

“If you face a team that has only had 62 hours of rest, the first thing you do is make it an intense game, make tough duels, nothing wrong with the duels by the way but unfortunately it was a collision that led to Hugo going out,” he said.

“We’re without one of the best strikers that the league has seen in the last three or four years, already unavailable for the the whole season, in Alexander Isak.

“One of the best goalscorers that the league has seen in the last eight years not being available in Mo Salah.

“And then missing out on Hugo Ekitike who has had a lot of impact this season.

“As so many (times) this season you have to find a way of playing players in positions they are maybe not used to and in the first half we did it quite well but as the game went on Brighton became stronger and stronger.

“A few times this season we were able to make something happen off the bench but throughout the second half I think they were closer to scoring to make it 3-1 than we were for 2-2.”

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Slot says Ekitike should recover quickly after suffering a dead leg, but goalkeeper Alisson, who also missed the game, is set for a longer spell out.

“Alisson will definitely be out during the international break and let’s see afterwards,” Slot said.

“Hugo, I think he could play tomorrow if he needed to, it was a dead leg.”

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