Hugo Ekitike latest as new Liverpool player ruled out of derby

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Arne Slot press conference LIVE - Hugo Ekitike latest as new Liverpool player ruled out of derby

Live coverage of Liverpool head coach Arne Slot's press conference to preview Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Welcome to our live coverage of Liverpool head coach Arne Slot's press conference to preview Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Reds boss will be with us a 9am.

But before Slot is quizzed about Liverpool's first-ever trip to Everton's new home, he is likely to be asked for his reaction to the devastating that top goalscorer Hugo Ekitike is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with an Achilles tendon rupture.

The striker sustained the serious injury in Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second-leg 2-0 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain, which ends the Reds' hopes of silverware this season.

The defending champions must now focus on sealing a top-five finish in the Premier League to secure qualification for next season's Champions League.

And they would go a long way to achieving that with victory at their city rivals.

As well as questions about the Blues, expect Slot to be asked over the fitness of Alexander Isak, who was restricted to 45 minutes against PSG in midweek, and whether first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker is any close to a return from a hamstring injury.

Ian Doyle is at the AXA Training Centre to bring you live updates from the press conference.

Slot on Jayden Danns

He has been out for such a long time and now he's getting back with the under-21s getting some playing time. But he's not even played 90 mins for U21s let alone play a Premier League game. He has worked so hard and I've seen him around, he has been so unlucky to be out such a long time. Really like him to be back.

Slot on intensity

It's definitely helpful most of our players are available and we're now only playing once a week. Most of our players have shown they can play every three games but not all of them can. Either they get injured or their performance drops a little bit. From that perspective it's maybe good we are not playing in Europe anymore but I'd DEFINITELY prefer to be still in as it gives the players more energy.

Slot on injuries

Gomez not fit.

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Slot on intensity of PSG game

Don't think it will affect us (v Everton). It didn't v Fulham although I have to factor in the Anfield factor. The fans play a big part if you want to go as aggressive as we were v PSG. We took the same risk in Paris and they were five or six times in front of our goalkeeper. But we kept them away from us at Anfield.

Slot on away record

It's important to know when you play and when. I know we have lost a lot of games after European and away from home, and a few of them were 12.30s on the Saturday after Wednesday which is difficult for any team. Good thing for us is that we played on Tuesday and now it's not a game until Sunday.

Slot on possibly selling players in summer

Last year we made quite a lot of signings and that's why we traded that much. In four windows had net spend of £150m. That says what kind of club we are. We know we are changing at least two players, but Kostas is coming back. First aim is to see how we react in position of Mo whether we want to replace with similar player or do that differently. At this moment of time there's not a chance of a lot of players leaving. Of course there's Ibou contract situation. There might not be a need to train a lot if you don't need to bring a lot of players in.

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Slot on fixtures

It feels a bit like a mini-league. Every team is focused on team around them. Our focus now is not on Arsenal but on the teams around us. Our main focus is on the first game at hand and that's Everton.

Slot on Isak

It's a good thing we signed two number nines. Lot of people were debating why we signed two, now it looks like a good (idea), now people are saying we should sign another in the summer. Someone said to me the day after that you cannot write the script that on the day Alex is back on first start the other leaves pitch with a long-term injury. Even more a good thing that Alex is back but wouldn't be the first time I didn't have someone available in a certain position, such as right-back. Alex we know is not ready to play 90 yet.

Slot on character

They showed a lot of character against PSG. Being the better team v PSG is very complicated let alone three games in seven days against an opponent two. A lot of my players broke records in terms of physical output, that tells you how strong and ready they are. That won't be any different on Sunday. The crowd (at Everton) didn't affect me last season, the referee decisions did. I don't think a stadium is loud, the fans are loud. Their fans will be loud as ours will be as well. It's not the stadium that makes the difference, it's the players and the fans can have an impact on the players.

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Slot on no more slip-ups

We didn't want to lose to City or PSG. It's always the aim. If you go into a game you don't want slip-ups.

Slot on (not the) Hill Dickinson

Always a very special game, doesn't matter if it's the 60th. But if it's the last and then the first one at a stadium that makes it even more special if possible. They are in a very good place at the moment. You can add 1 or 2% to the special game. It will always be a special game for them but it is for us.

Slot on players coming and going

For those who watched PSG game, the home one, fair to say the future does look bright and were able to have more ball possession than them. 21 shots, more possession, high xG against team that has more ball possession. Even if you take into account Hugo had to go off after 30 and Alex half-time. This team has already shown in other moments they can compete with best in Europe. We beat three other quarter-finalists here, that tells you this is already a very strong team. But it takes some changes with Robbo and Mo leaving. But future looks bright. I am not thinking in numbers (in terms of new players). Areas and which players we already know who are going to leave and let's see what happens in summer. You know we are a trading club.

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Arne Slot on Hugo Ekitike

He hasn't been operated on yet. Devastasting for him coming to a new club having so much impact straight away. Playing agianst your former club in CL quarter-final with so much to come for him in the summer. FIrst thoughts are with him being out for such along time, missing ut on som many specialmoments. Not the first and not the last player hwo eexperienced something like this at start of career and so many examples of layers coming back even stronger. 100% he will be one of those say maybe this injury makes me ven more straonger and more ready to play at even higher level.

Slot in the house

The Liverpool boss is here so we can begin...

Where you at, Arne?

We are waiting patiently and yet the Liverpool boss is still not among us...

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Running late

We're still waiting on the Liverpool head coach.

Five minute warning

Arne Slot will be with us at 9am. Stay tuned!

Leaving Mo Salah out against PSG was the wrong call

That's the opinion of the Premier League all-time leading goalscorer Alan Shearer, who told Betfair: "I expected what we saw Liverpool do in the second half to happen in the first half. They made a huge call-in leaving Mo Salah on the bench which wasn’t the right call for me. Not when you look at Alexander Isak's performance, not when he only had five touches.

"He didn't look fit, and it was a huge call to leave their main goalscorer out, albeit he hasn't been in great form with only 11 goals this season. Having said that, he did score the weekend. Another big call was to leave Rio Ngumoha out. So, there were one or two selection surprises.

"In the second half, they had a 25-minute spell where they put PSG under pressure but didn't really create any big chances. I think the keeper made two good saves, one in the first half, one in the second half but other than that, Liverpool didn't have enough to break them down. PSG had what Liverpool didn't in terms of a lethal, clinical goalscorer in Ousmane Dembele.

"The best team won over two legs. I mean, in every position, PSG were better than Liverpool. It's been a tough season for Liverpool."

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Florian Wirtz says Liverpool players 'owe' fans and club

Florian Wirtz says the Liverpool squad owe it to the club and the fans to secure Champions League football next season.

The Reds exited Europe's premier competition at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday night as holders Paris Saint-Germain won 2-0 at Anfield to triumph 4-0 across the two legs.

And having been knocked out of the FA Cup earlier this month by Manchester City at the same stage, Wirtz believes the players must finish the term strongly to ensure they don't miss out on the Champions League,

“The focus goes completely to the end of the season for the league,” the £116m summer signing from Bayern Leverkusen told the club's website.

“We have to play [in the] Champions League next season, we owe this to the club and to the fans.

"We will give our best, like we did today, and hopefully we can make minimum the top five.

"We tried everything. I think the whole stadium was on fire and the fans, big compliments to them.“We tried everything from the first minute, but we needed that one goal to get the turnaround started.

"We were just missing the goal. That’s football – when you don’t score goals, you don’t win games.”

What's on the agenda?

Paul Gorst, our Liverpool correspondent, is on a day off today, but he signed off by writing this article on what Arne Slot will be likely to be quizzed about this morning.

You can read the article HERE.

Five players could miss Everton - including Alisson Becker

Hugo Ekitike joins fellow long-term injuries victims Giovanni Leoni, Conor Bradley and Wataru Endo on the sidelines.

They will all miss the match against Everton and there is a doubt over first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker, too.

The Brazil international has been out with a hamstring injury for a month and, while he is expected to return to action this month, it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to face the Blues.

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Hugo Ekitike injury

It doesn't take a genius to predict that the first question Arne Slot will face this morning regard Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool confirmed the news every supporter was fearing yesterday when they released a statement revealing that their top goalscorer had suffer rupture of the Achilles tendon in the midweek Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield.

The statement in full read: "Liverpool FC can confirm Hugo Ekitike has sustained a serious Achilles injury.

"The forward had to be substituted during the first half of Tuesday's Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield after a slip on the turf.

"Scans on the issue have subsequently confirmed a rupture of the Achilles tendon.

"Ekitike will therefore be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and unable to participate at this summer's World Cup with France.

"Further updates will be provided at the appropriate time, with Hugo receiving the full support of everyone at LFC."

Good morning

And welcome to our live coverage of Arne Slot's latest press conference. The Liverpool head coach will be with us at 9am.

Slot is staging it, of course, primarily to talk about the little matter of Sunday's Merseyside derby at Hill Dickinson Stadium against Everton.

It's set to be an historic match given it is the first time the city rivals have gone head to head at the Blues' new waterfront home.

And there's a lot riding on it, with the Reds hoping to cement their place in the Premier League top five and their rivals hoping to get closer to gatecrashing it.

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