Hugo Ekitike has been tasked to grow stronger as he gets increased responsibility in Liverpool following the recent injury to Alexander Isak.
Isak who scored Liverpool’s opening goal in their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur hobbled off the pitch with a fractured leg following a follow-through tackle from defender Micky van de Ven.
The Sweden International is now set to be for two months and with Salah currently playing at the AFC ON, Ekitike has a huge role to play upfront.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Wolves, Reds manager Arne Slot confessed that he expects Ekitike to grow stronger with this increased responsibility.
Arne Slot Head speaks with Hugo Ekitike (Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/Getty Images)
Slot said: “Still he needs to get stronger but he has already become stronger.
“I don’t think he changed a lot in all his offensive qualities. He’s fast, he can score a goal, he has great footwork, he’s got dribbling skills. He has so much in his locker, I think that’s the way you say it here.
“I think he’s adjusted to the Premier League now. Now he has to not only adjust but make sure, with his physique, how fast he is. He can become also physically outstanding, and that’s where he’s working really hard.
“By the way, in the last three, four minutes, he was very, very, very tired in the Tottenham game as well. I see this more often but that is maybe also because so many of the same players constantly have to play, there’s hardly any rest for them.
“I have to give them a lot of compliments that they constantly can bring what they are bringing, playing so many games, hardly any rest because we don’t have so many chances to rotate. Every single time they fight, fight, fight from the first second until the last and Hugo is one of them.”
Liverpool paid Eintracht Frankfurt £79 million to sign Elitike, and with seven goals in 15 league games, he has proved to be a good signing and will be eager to keep the good form.
