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Arne Slot confirms if Hugo Ekitike could face Arsenal after squad omission vs Fulham
Arne Slot confirms if Hugo Ekitike could face Arsenal after squad omission vs Fulham
The margins are tightening, the pressure is rising, and Arsenal are no longer glancing over their shoulder – they are staring straight ahead.
Thursday night’s showdown with Liverpool at the Emirates is not just another fixture in a crowded calendar; it is a collision of momentum, belief and ambition at the sharp end of the title race. As Mikel Arteta prepares his side for one of the season’s most defining tests, uncertainty has crept into Liverpool’s camp.
Slot: Ekitike has put in the hard work…
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Arsenal’s attention has swiftly turned from consolidation to confrontation. With momentum building at the top of the Premier League, Thursday night’s meeting with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium looms as one of the defining fixtures of the season’s second half.
For Mikel Arteta, the task is twofold: maintain control of a title push that has gathered pace, while navigating the fine margins that separate elite sides in heavyweight encounters. Squad availability, always critical, is under close scrutiny on both sides, and Liverpool’s preparations have already been disrupted.
One notable absentee from Liverpool’s weekend trip to Fulham was Hugo Ekitike. The French forward was omitted from the matchday squad at Craven Cottage, immediately raising questions about his availability for the clash with Arsenal.
Arne Slot explains Ekitike’s absence
Speaking to Sky Sports before kick-off, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot offered clarity on the situation, pointing to workload rather than a major injury.
“Alexander Isak has been out for a few weeks now,” Slot explained. “That has meant that Hugo had to play more minutes than he did throughout the whole season.”
The knock-on effect, Slot suggested, was inevitable. “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 22-year-old still adapting to the physical and tactical demands of English football, the strain has been significant. “For a player that’s his age and is not used to the Premier League completely, that has been a bit too much,” Slot added.
The Liverpool coach stopped short of ruling Ekitike out of the Arsenal game, but his conclusion was deliberately cautious. “So, that’s why he will be out for today and hopefully be back for the Arsenal game, but that’s definitely not sure yet.”
Ekitike’s potential absence matters. Since Isak’s injury, Liverpool have leaned heavily on the Frenchman’s mobility and ability to stretch defensive lines. He offers vertical threat, pressing energy and a willingness to run channels, traits that fit Slot’s transitional attacking model.
Without him, Liverpool’s attacking structure changes. They become less direct, more reliant on wide progression and second-line runners rather than a central focal point capable of pinning centre-backs. Against Arsenal’s disciplined defensive shape, that distinction is significant.
Slot’s comments underline the risk Liverpool have been forced to take due to squad depth issues. Increased minutes, reduced rotation and adaptation to a new league have converged at an awkward moment in the calendar.
Why Arsenal could benefit
From Arsenal’s perspective, uncertainty around Ekitike’s fitness represents a potential advantage. Arsenal have built much of their recent success on defensive control, particularly at home, where they manage space between the lines effectively and limit central penetration.
If Liverpool arrive without a fully fit Ekitike, Arsenal’s centre-backs may face fewer vertical duels and less sustained pressure in behind. That, in turn, allows Arsenal’s midfield screen to operate higher up the pitch, compressing space and dictating tempo.
Arteta’s side are comfortable defending wide deliveries, but they are at their strongest when denying opponents a reference point through the middle. Ekitike’s absence would reduce Liverpool’s ability to vary their attacking approach and could force Slot into compromises he would rather avoid in such a high-stakes fixture.
Slot’s “hopefully” and “not sure yet” were telling. Liverpool will give Ekitike every chance to recover, but hamstring issues are rarely predictable, particularly with limited recovery time between fixtures.
Read More: Arsenal latest injury news and return dates: key player likely to return against Liverpool
For Arsenal, the focus will remain on preparation rather than speculation. Yet in matches of this magnitude, even marginal shifts in availability can tilt the balance.
If Ekitike does miss out, Arsenal would face a Liverpool side still dangerous but arguably less equipped to stress their defensive structure in the most direct way. If he plays, questions will remain about sharpness and durability.
Either way, Slot’s update has added another layer of intrigue to a colossal meeting. Arsenal will not rely on absences to define their approach, but they will be keenly aware that Liverpool arriving without one of their key attacking outlets could subtly reshape the contest in their favour.
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Arsenal injury, suspension list and return dates vs. Portsmouth: Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera latest
Arsenal will begin their bid to win the FA Cup for the 15th time in their history when they travel to Fratton Park for Sunday’s meeting with Championship strugglers Portsmouth.
The Gunners missed the chance to further extend their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table in Thursday’s underwhelming goalless draw against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.
While their five-game winning league run came to an end, Mikel Arteta will be pleased with the fact that his side are now unbeaten in seven competitive matches ahead of Sunday’s cup tie and Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea.
Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Arsenal’s latest injury and suspension news ahead of the clash with Portsmouth, who are languishing in 21st spot in the Championship standings.
Piero Hincapie
Status: Major doubt
Type of injury: Muscle
Possible return date: January 11 (vs. Portsmouth)
Hincapie was forced off with what appeared to be a muscle problem in the 57th minute of Thursday’s draw with Liverpool. Arteta now faces a nervous wait to discover the full extent of the defender’s injury.
Kai Havertz
Status: Minor doubt
Type of injury: Match fitness
Possible return date: January 11 (vs. Portsmouth)
Havertz has recovered from the knee injury that kept him out of action for months. However, he has been left out of Arsenal’s last two matchday squads as he continues to build up his fitness. There is a possibility that the forward could make his first appearance since August in Sunday’s FA Cup clash.
Riccardo Calafiori
Status: Out
Type of injury: Muscle
Possible return date: January 14 (vs. Chelsea)
Calafiori has sat out Arsenal’s last four matches with a muscle injury. The defender is making progress in his recovery, but he is not expected to be ready for the upcoming trip to the south coast.
Cristhian Mosquera
Status: Out
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: January 14 (vs. Chelsea)
Like Calafiori, Mosquera is closing in on a return to action after missing over a month of action due to an ankle injury. However, the former Valencia defender will not be available for selection this weekend.
Max Dowman
Status: Out
Type of injury: Ankle
Possible return date: Unknown
Max Dowman is likely to be out until February after sustaining an ankle problem while playing for Arsenal Under-21s in last month’s behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United.
ARSENAL’S SUSPENSION LIST
Arsenal have no players suspended for the third-round tie.
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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal remain in the driving seat to clinch the Premier League title crown this season – and they could strengthen Mikel Arteta’s squad to bolster their chances.
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Whether or not the right players are out there remains to be seen, but with Arteta enduring several injury blows already this season – particularly in defence – the manager will be keeping a close eye on potential targets.
The Gunners splashed the cash in the summer, bringing in the likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to the Emirates Stadium – so a loan deal might favour the club
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There could also be high-profile exits, both loans and permanent deals, with young midfield talent Ethan Nwaneri linked with an exit. Other youngsters could also make loan moves to get a taste of first-team football.
With that said, football.london takes a closer look at all the moves completed by Arsenal so far this January.
Read the latest information on injuries, suspensions and availability in the Liverpool men’s squad.
Injuries
Hugo Ekitike
Ekitike was unavailable for the clash with Fulham because of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Arne Slot was asked whether he will be fit for the game at Arsenal on January 8.
Slot on January 7: “He has not trained with us until now and let’s see if he can today.
“I’ve said, I think, two or three days ago when we played Fulham that he is not going to be out for long 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.”
Wataru Endo
The midfielder has been out of action with an ankle injury since appearing in the 3-3 draw at Leeds United on December 6.
Alexander Isak
Isak is facing a spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury that included a fibula fracture on December 22.
He sustained the issue while scoring against Tottenham Hotspur two days prior.
Slot on December 23: “It’s going to be a long injury. For a couple of months. That’s a big, big, big disappointment for him and as a result of that of course also for us.”
Slot did also confirm he is confident Isak will be able to play again during the 2025-26 season.
Giovanni Leoni
The defender is amid a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
Slot on September 26: “He is not in a good place, of course, because he tore his ACL and it means he will be out for a year. Being so young and 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 you always try to look at a positive side and that is that he is still so young, so he has so many years still to go after he recovers from a terrible injury like that.”
Availability
Mohamed Salah
After featuring off the bench versus Brighton on December 13, the forward is now with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Salah scored in the group games against Zimbabwe and South Africa to help his country reach the last 16. They are next in action on January 5.
Suspensions
Conor Bradley
Bradley is one yellow card away from receiving a one-match suspension in the Champions League.
The Reds travel to Marseille on January 21 for matchday seven of the league phase and then host Qarabag a week later.
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