Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has provided crucial injury update on Florian Wirtz after Nottingham Forest withdrawal
For 96 minutes at the City Ground, Liverpool looked like a team that had lost its compass, wandering through a performance that Arne Slot would later describe as the “worst” of his tenure to date.
But then, the seventh minute of stoppage time arrived. Alexis Mac Allister, who had already seen one goal chalked off by VAR, refused to be denied twice.
His 97th-minute winner didn’t just break Nottingham Forest hearts it provided a massive boost to Liverpool’s Champions League qualification hopes, dragging the Reds level with Chelsea and Manchester United in a frantic Top four scuffle.
The pre-match drama began before a ball was even kicked. Florian Wirtz, the creative heartbeat of this Slot side, was forced to withdraw during the warm-up after complaining of back pain. The German sat behind the bench, a frustrated spectator as the Reds struggled to find a single drop of fluency without him.
Slot, however, offered a calming update in his post-match press conference:
“We don’t think it’s very serious, but he felt his back too much during the warmup to start. He wasn’t able to be 100 per cent or even close to 100 per cent. I think after being in this league for six, seven or eight months he understands that no matter how good you are on the ball, you need to be 100 per cent at this level, so we decided not to play him.”
Looking ahead to the visit of West Ham on Saturday, Slot added:
“But we hope and expect that he will be able to be with us again next week. But yeah, you never know how things work out.”
While Wirtz is expected back soon, the medical room remains busy. Jeremie Frimpong is eying a return next weekend, but several stars face much longer roads to recovery.
Player Injury Potential Return Florian Wirtz Back (Minor) Feb 28 vs West Ham Jeremie Frimpong Muscle/Thigh Feb 28 vs West Ham Alexander Isak Broken Leg Late March / April Conor Bradley Knee (Surgery) August 2026 Wataru Endo Foot Unknown (Long-term) Giovanni Leoni ACL Rupture August 2026
A gruelling afternoon for the Reds
Without Wirtz, Liverpool were unrecognisable. Forest, rejuvenated under Vitor Pereira, registered 12 shots in a first half where Liverpool produced virtually nothing.
Curtis Jones struggled to replicate Wirtz’s ghosting runs, and the lack of a creative fulcrum forced Slot into a series of tactical shifts that saw Dominik Szoboszlai even popping up at right-back.
Mac Allister was brutally honest about the performance:
“I love scoring, I love winning. So in that sense it’s a really good day, but then on the other hand I don’t think we played very well. Positioning, pressing, intensity—it was not our standard.”
Slot himself admitted that a draw would have been a “fairer result” on the balance of play. The Dutchman had to deliver a half-time “rocket” to his squad, urging them to find energy against a Forest side that had played only three days prior.
Despite the “ugly” nature of the win, there were positives. The introduction of 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha for the final 14 minutes provided the electric spark the veterans couldn’t find. His directness in the buildup to the winner served as a clear message to his manager that he is ready for more.
Furthermore, the treatment room is finally showing signs of thinning. While long-term absentees like Alexander Isak, Conor Bradley, and Giovanni Leoni remain out, Jeremie Frimpong is expected to return alongside the German for the West Ham clash.
| Metric | Florian Wirtz (LFC 25/26) | Team Average (Mids) |
| Big Chances Created | 14 | 4 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 2.8 | 1.1 |
| Pass Accuracy (Final Third) | 84% | 76% |
| G/A Contributions | 19 | 6 |
This was a win built on the “steel” that Slot has spent months cultivating. It wasn’t pretty, and the absence of Wirtz’s control was obvious to anyone with a vantage point at the City Ground. But in the hunt for the Champions League, three points earned in the 97th minute count just as much as a 5-0 rout.
