Arne Slot confirmed that Florian Wirtz might be unavailable again for Liverpool after they host West Ham within the Premier League on Saturday.
Wirtz was absent from Liverpool’s dramatic 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after sustaining an injury through the warm-up.
Speaking shortly after the sport, Slot confirmed that the German midfielder had picked up a back injury but said he ‘expected’ him to be fit for Saturday’s clash with West Ham.
Nonetheless, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Dutchman suggested that Wirtz is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines.
‘I don’t expect Florian to be available in order that’s a disappointment,’ Slot said.
‘Each time my player isn’t available, it’s a disappointment and in addition something I didn’t expect after last week, but that’s sometimes how things can evolve and unfortunately, this time not in a positive way.’
Asked if Liverpool knew the extent of Wirz’s injury, Slot responded: ‘At this moment of time, no.
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‘And frequently once I say that I do know but I don’t need to share it, but now I truthfully don’t know.’
Wirtz made a slow begin to life at Anfield following his record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen over th summer.
However the 22-year-old had begun to indicate positive signs in a Liverpool shirt, notching up five goals and two assists in his 12 matches in all competitions because the start of 2026.
‘It’s a giant accomplishment for him to remain fit for such a protracted time because he needed to make the step up from where he played to Liverpool and the Premier League, and that he stayed fit on a regular basis tells you quite a bit concerning the mentality and the work-rate of a player,’ Slot added.
‘But unfortunately last week and this week he isn’t available, which is a disappointment for him and for us, because he played very well these days.’
There was some positive news for Liverpool, though, with Slot confirming that full-back Jeremie Frimpong is obtainable for the primary time since picking up an injury against Qarabag at the tip of January.
‘Jeremie is obtainable. He trained with us a number of times this week so he’s available,’ the Liverpool boss said.
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