Liverpool are dealing with a shortage of strikers ahead of their high-profile Premier League showdown with Arsenal this week.
Arne Slot’s Reds head to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night for a marquee match-up against the leaders having made an underwhelming start to 2026.
Liverpool’s drab stalemate against Leeds at Anfield on New Year’s Day was followed by a dramatic 2-2 draw on the road at Fulham, where Cody Gakpo’s 95th-minute goal was cancelled out by a stunning last-gasp strike from Harrison Reed.
Those back-to-back draws brought a frustrating end to a resurgent run of four straight wins across all competitions and five in the last seven matches that had seen them climb back into the top four after a disastrous start to their title defence that piled the pressure on Slot.
Liverpool now face a tough test away at Arsenal, with top-flight games against Burnley, Bournemouth and Newcastle also on the way in a packed January as well as Champions League meetings with Marseille and Qarabag, plus the FA Cup third-round visit of Barnsley to Merseyside.
Here is all the latest Liverpool injury news and return dates ahead of that huge clash with Arsenal, with Mohamed Salah still away with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco but Joe Gomez having now returned to the squad after his hamstring problem.
Hugo Ekitike
With Alexander Isak out, Liverpool have been relying heavily on fellow summer signing Hugo Ekitike of late and he was expected to lead their attack once more against Fulham on Sunday.
However, the Frenchman was a shock omission from their matchday squad at Craven Cottage, with Slot revealing that the additional workload had led to him suffering a slight hamstring injury that he hoped would not rule him out against Arsenal.
“Alexander Isak has been out for a few weeks now, that has meant that Hugo had to play more minutes than he did throughout the whole season,” Slot told Sky Sports ahead of the Fulham game.
“That has led to the fact that he picked up a slight hamstring injury, because we had to play him more and more and more minutes. For a player that is his age and not used to the Premier League completely, that has been a bit too much.
“That’s why he will be out for today and hopefully be back for the Arsenal game, but that’s definitely not sure yet.”
Slot was further asked about Ekitike after the match as well as Florian Wirtz, who has also had a hamstring issue but started and scored as he played 76 minutes against Fulham.
“Yes, [Hugo] travelled because he felt something during the training session, so he went for an MRI scan and we got the result when we were flying,” Slot said.
“We were hoping it was just a bit of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which he also had. Why? Because Alex [Isak] has been out and since Alex is out [Hugo] doesn't play 70 minutes or 60 minutes or sometimes gets a bit of rest.
“He has to play 80 or 90 minutes every single game for the first time in his life at Premier League level, for the first time in his life without a winter break, for the first time in his life at Champions League level. So not a surprise he then gets a bit tired and gets DOMS.
“We were hoping it was only DOMS and then we could have used him maybe as a sub, but unfortunately, we saw a little bit more and then you cannot take a risk.
“Florian had the same last week when we put him in an MRI scan and there was only DOMS, so he didn't have anything.
“But he is also experiencing this programme for the first time and if I don't have that many players, I would like the ones I do have available and playing as many minutes as possible, but realistically. That's what I tried to do today.”
Potential return date: Thursday January 8, vs Arsenal (A)
Alexander Isak
Liverpool were already without British record signing Isak, who was injured while opening the scoring in the eventful 2-1 win at Tottenham before Christmas after a challenge from Micky van de Ven that Slot criticised as “reckless”.
The Swedish international received treatment before being helped off the pitch and it later transpired that he had suffered an ankle injury that included a fractured fibula and required surgery.
An exact timeframe has not been put on Isak’s recovery, but he is expected to be sidelined for a period of months.
“It's going to be a long injury, for a couple of months,” said Slot, who added that he expected Isak to play again this season. “It's a big disappointment for him and, as a result, for us.”
Potential return date: March
Wataru Endo
Versatile midfielder Wataru Endo has not played for Liverpool since making his first Premier League appearance for two months as a late substitute in the 3-3 draw at Leeds on December 6.
His return proved to be short-lived, however, as he suffered an ankle injury that has kept him back on the sidelines ever since.
“I expect Joe [Gomez] to train with us [on Friday] and Wataru not yet,” Slot said in his latest update on the Japan captain last week.
Potential return date: Late January
Giovanni Leoni
Liverpool will not be able to call upon Giovanni Leoni for the rest of the season and likely the start of the next after he sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament on his debut in English football in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton in September.
The young Italian defender, a summer signing from Parma, was ruled out for approximately 12 months after surgery and still has a long way to go in terms of his rehabilitation.
“He is not in a good place, of course, because he tore his ACL and it means he will be out for around a year,” said Slot.
“Being so young, coming to a new country and playing so well in your first game … it’s very hard to take the positive side.
“There’s never a positive side but he is still so young so he has many years to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that.”
Potential return date: September
