For Liverpool supporters, Saturday’s loss to Brighton evokes a lot of negative imagery and bad memories. And the first one is probably that of forward Hugo Ekitike limping off, and out of the game early on. It turns out though, he’s fine; nothing to worry about.
“Hugo, I think he could play tomorrow if he needed to,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said in postgame. “It was a dead leg, as you call it here, I think. Unfortunately, it was a collision, and that led to Hugo going out.”
Mo Salah
The club’s most recognizable and name brand player will miss international duty with Egypt, due to an unspecified muscular injury.
Said Slot on Friday: “not available for tomorrow. The good thing for LFC is that we go to an international break. The bad thing for Egypt is that he can’t go there. History has shown that he can be earlier back than some others. But it’s only two weeks when we go again, so let’s hope in that period he can be back.”
Expected Return Date: FA Cup Quarterfinal at Man City Apr. 4
Alisson
The first choice goalkeeper will miss international duty with Brazil, due to an unspecified muscular injury.
Said Slot on Saturday: “Alisson will definitely be out during the international break, and let’s see afterwards.”
Expected Return Date: Maybe the FA Cup Quarterfinal at Man City Apr. 4
Alexander Isak
The subject of last summer’s biggest and most tedious transfer saga is nearing a return. Isak has been out since suffering a fractured fibula, in an altercation with Tottenham Hotspur central defender Micky van de Ven last December. He has not played since then, but now we have a specific target for when he might return.
“Alex is not available for tomorrow, but the fact that you see him on the pitch tells you that he gets closer and closer to joining us again,” Slot said on Saturday. “He will not be available for Saturday as well. As long as you don’t train with the team yet, you are not ready to play.”
Expected Return Date: Champions League Quarterfinal at Paris Saint-Germain Apr. 8
Hugo Ekitike
Like we said, Ekitike is basically fine.
Expected Return Date: FA Cup Quarterfinal at Southampton Apr. 4
Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Wataru Endo
All three of these players are long ruled out for the season. Endo is still hoping to get back, after recovering from ankle surgery, to play for Japan in the World Cup. Bradley (knee) and Leoni (ACL) will spend their summers rehabbing and convalescing.
Expected Return Date: 2026-27 season
Squad Injury Update Series: March 2026 Intl Break
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Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.