Arne Slot has delivered a sobering assessment of Wataru Endo’s condition, admitting he expects the midfielder to be sidelined for “quite a long time”.
Liverpool’s injury curse has moved beyond the realms of bad luck and into the territory of the downright ridiculous. In fact, under Arne Slot, these challenges seem even more pronounced.
Liverpool should have spent the night celebrating a historic demolition of Sunderland’s unbeaten home record. Instead, a grim reality dominated the post-match conversation as Wataru Endo departed on a stretcher.
The Japanese international now faces a desperate battle to save his season, with the injury placing his World Cup dreams in immediate jeopardy.
While the Reds finally silenced the Stadium of Light, the sight of their midfield anchor leaving in a protective brace turned a landmark victory into a somber affair.
Endo’s misfortune doesn’t just disrupt Arne Slot’s tactical plans. Instead, it threatens to sideline the Japan captain for the biggest tournament of his career.
The 33-year-old was the victim of a sickening fluke midway through the second half of Liverpool’s 1-0 win. After clearing a dangerous Sunderland cross, Endo’s left foot appeared to snag in the turf. This caused his ankle to twist under his own body weight while Arne Slot watched on.
The heavy price of three points
While the Reds eventually secured the win thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s 61st-minute header, the post-match mood was somber. The Japan captain clutched a “green whistle” for pain relief as medics carried him off on a stretcher.
With his leg locked in a protective brace, the midfielder left the pitch in clear distress after his ankle buckled under the Stadium of Light floodlights.
The blow feels especially cruel for a player who finally fought his way back into the starting line-up. This was only Endo’s second Premier League start under Arne Slot, yet he found himself filling a makeshift right-back role. He did this purely to navigate a mounting defensive disaster.
This same crisis has already sidelined Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, leaving the Reds backline in a state of total emergency. Endo stepped up to plug the gap. Unfortunately, the very role designed to save Liverpool’s season may have just ended his own.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Slot said: “Yes, it’s a serious one. How serious we don’t know yet because it still has to be assessed tomorrow, but it doesn’t look good.
“I’m not too sure [if it’s his ankle]. It’s his foot, but if it is his ankle or his foot, that is what we have to assess tomorrow.
“I assume he will be out for a long, long time. What is long, it is difficult to say at this moment but you can hardly believe what this right full-back position brings us this season.”
World Cup hopes hanging by a thread
The timing couldn’t be worse for the veteran midfielder. With the World Cup in North America set to kick off on June 11, the race is now on for Endo to prove his fitness. Arne Slot will no doubt be involved in monitoring the recovery.
Japan’s campaign begins in earnest on June 14 against the Netherlands in Texas. As a result, Hajime Moriyasu will be sweating on the availability of his captain.
Endo has been plagued by rotten luck this term. He previously missed seven matches following a separate ankle issue and sat out the October internationals with a hamstring strain.
While his career fitness record has generally been exemplary, this latest setback feels like a bridge too far. It comes at a time when Endo is a player in the twilight of his career under Arne Slot’s management.
Endo’s exit forced Slot into yet another tactical reshuffle. Thankfully, Joe Gomez was fit enough to make the bench after his own hip problem and stepped into the breach for the final twenty minutes. This is a situation Arne Slot has dealt with frequently.
The Reds had already arrived on Wearside with a depleted deck. Dominik Szoboszlai who has performed admirably out of position this season was serving a suspension following his red card against Manchester City.
With Szoboszlai set to return for the FA Cup clash against Brighton, Slot has one body back. However, the loss of Endo’s experience and versatility leaves the squad looking dangerously thin. Arne Slot will need to find creative solutions.
“It looked a bad one [for Endo],” Ally McCoist said on commentary. Reds boss Arne Slot made clear on Tuesday that Calvin Ramsay was not someone who would come into consideration to solve his right-back problem.
Ramsay started the League Cup defeat to Crystal Palace in October but has never featured in the Premier League despite arriving from Aberdeen in the summer of 2022.
And responding to suggestions the 22-year-old could be an option at right-back, Slot said: “In general if you don’t win a game, the players who aren’t playing become the best players in the squad.
That’s the same everywhere in the world. Arne Slot has often explained his selection philosophy in this manner.
“This is an example of that as well. I just want to protect all my players. I’ve chosen other players until now and that’s also what I’m going to do tomorrow.”
Liverpool became the first team to win at Sunderland in the top flight this season. This is a feat that keeps their Champions League hunt firmly on track.
Yet, as the bus departed the North East, the three points felt secondary to the concern for a teammate. His summer dreams are now in the hands of the club’s medical department with Arne Slot overseeing the situation.
