Arne Slot was forced to bring off both Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong early in Liverpool’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Slot changed things up naming both Isak and Hugo Ekitiké to the starting lineup. Fans were excited to see the two together, but that was short lived given Isak made way for Federico Chiesa to start the second half.
The Dutchman had previously cited the need for caution working Isak into his plans given he missed preseason amid a lengthy transfer saga. After the game, the Dutch boss revealed Isak was dealing with a groin injury.
“He had to go off at half-time because he felt his groin a little bit. We’ve said it many times that it’s such a difficult balance to find with a player who was out for three months,” Slot said.
Slot Calls Out Critics Regarding Isak’s Usage to Start Season
Slot once again criticised those who questioned Isak’s early usage to begin the 2025–26 campaign.
“You bring [Isak] slowly, people argue if you can or can’t play him more, and now we’ve played him for the second time in three days and he had to go off so let’s hope for the best,” Slot said.
This isn’t the first time Slot has called out critics for his handling of summer signings including Jeremie Frimpong. The former Bayer Leverkusen man missed time after the Premier League season opener against Bournemouth because of a hamstring issue.
“I think I got criticised for taking him off, didn’t I? It had nothing to do with how he played but we felt he had an issue with his hamstring and by we, I mean the medical staff. It was a good call to take him off. We expect to have him back after the international break,” Slot said back in August.
Isak has yet to log 90 minutes across seven appearances in all competitions as Slot looked to work him in slowly. Though, the pressure could have pushed him to change things up in the Champions League.
Frimpong Dealing With Another Hamstring Injury
Slot also confirmed Frimpong is dealing with another hamstring injury that saw him get substituted just 19 minutes into the game.
While emphatically snapping their losing streak will come as a relief, injuries remain a concern. Midfield star Ryan Gravenberch missed the Frankfurt match due to an ankle injury and Alisson remains out.
Ekitiké is poised to lead the line if Isak is set to miss any significant time, while Conor Bradley should get more minutes after replacing Frimpong on Wednesday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arne Slot Provides Liverpool Injury Updates on Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong.