Injury expert details Hugo Ekitike hamstring problem with potential Liverpool return timeline

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Liverpool’s superb start to the season has already started to crumble with two successive defeats in the space of four days, and now they have key injuries to contend with after two stars were hauled off in midweek.

The Reds saw their perfect start to the season end on Saturday with a last-gasp defeat at high-flying Crystal Palace in the Premier League. That continued on Tuesday evening with a 1-0 loss to Turkish giants Galatasaray thanks to Victor Osimhen’s penalty.

The defeat in Istanbul certainly isn’t the end of the world in the Champions League group phase, but it does mean they’ll have to get back to winning ways when they face Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt towards the end of October.

And Liverpool may be forced to do so without in-form striker Hugo Ekitike, who came off with little over 20 minutes to go at Rams Park with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.

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How long Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike could be sidelined for after hamstring injury

While Liverpool do have Alexander Isak to rely upon upfront after his record-breaking Premier League transfer on Deadline Day, they could be without a second striker for a lengthy period of time. That could be detrimental to their chances of winning silverware this season.

Hugo Ekitike’s exit in Turkey has also been coupled with first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker heading off shortly after half-time, in what is undoubtedly bad news for manager Arne Slot to take after their strong start to the domestic campaign.

The focus for now, though, is on French starlet Ekitike, who overstretched for a ball midway through the second half.

And injury expert Physio Scout has stated that even a minor injury for Ekitike could see him out for at least a fortnight, despite the attacker mentioning that his injury only ‘felt like cramp’. Physio Scout posted on X (formerly Twitter):

“Hugo Ekitike went off in the second half after suffering a right hamstring injury. Usually, stretch-type mechanisms result in a longer layoff. However, Ekitike did mention he did feel like it was only a ‘cramp’. Scans will be necessary to determine the extent of the injury.

“Typically, stretch-type mechanisms end up being in and around a grade 2 strain. But even minor strains end up being at least a 2-week layoff. Again, need further clarifications from scans.”

That could see him miss a game or two, with Liverpool having some tough fixtures around the corner.

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What games could Hugo Ekitike miss for Liverpool

As mentioned earlier, Alexander Isak is obviously a strong replacement for Hugo Ekitike, even if the Swedish striker isn’t fully fit after a lack of pre-season minutes whilst he was at Newcastle United over the summer.

But even if Isak does start scoring straight away, he will remain the only natural striker at the club until Ekitike does return from injury.

The French international has made a roaring start to his Anfield career, with five goals in just nine games in all competitions, including four goal contributions in his first five Premier League appearances.

If Ekitike is out for two weeks, that would likely see him miss Liverpool’s upcoming clash with Chelsea in the league.

With an international break following, the striker could be straight back into action against rivals Manchester United.

However, if it is worse than expected, then Ekitike could miss some key games such as United, Real Madrid, Aston Villa and Manchester City.

It does, however, now give a chance for Isak to impress.