Arne Slot faces a defining week as Liverpool deal with a devastating injury to Hugo Ekitike and a “nervy” goalkeeping situation. Here is the full Liverpool injury list ahead of the Merseyside derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
In truth, few would have predicted last August that the Reds would be facing a trophyless end to the season. After cruising to the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s maiden campaign and sanctioning a staggering £450 million summer rebuild, the expectations were sky-high.
Yet, Liverpool have noticeably regressed. The recent 4-0 aggregate dismantling by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League quarter-finals has extinguished the final hope of silverware being added to the Anfield trophy cabinet this term.
As a result, head coach Arne Slot is now feeling the heat from a disgruntled section of the support. With the “must-win” pressure of a Merseyside derby looming at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Dutchman likely needs a flawless run and Champions League qualification to secure his future in the Liverpool hot seat.
However, his task has been made significantly harder by a brutal injury list that has claimed key stars at the worst possible moment. From the devastating loss of 17-goal striker Hugo Ekitike to the ongoing scrutiny of Giorgi Mamardashvili’s form in Alisson’s absence, Slot will be desperate for any positive news from the medical room.
A tense match-up with David Moyes men will be a tough contest, too, considering Liverpool haven’t won away at Everton since 2021.
On that day, a Mohamed Salah double would steer the Reds to a memorable Merseyside Derby triumph under Jurgen Klopp.
But since then, they’ve fallen victim a 2-0 defeat, and a controversial 2-2 draw, when crossing over enemy lines, as James Tarkowski’s late leveller wasn’t ruled out on their last meeting away from Anfield.
Slot also has some injury issues to contend with, ahead of the latest instalment of this feisty affair, with Hugo Ekitike now confirmed to be out for the season, owing to a nasty Achilles tendon rupture.
Liverpool injury news ahead of Everton
The obvious place to start here is with Hugo Ekitike, as the Frenchman is set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 season and the upcoming World Cup with France, after slipping over in the early stages of the PSG second leg.
This is a big blow for Liverpool, with Ekitike boasting 17 goals during an encouraging debut season, as Slot will now have to experiment with his forward options, ahead of Sunday’s short trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Alongside injury issues plaguing his attack, Slot could also be out without Joe Gomez for the tasty affair on the weekend, as the London-born defender only lasted 22 minutes against PSG before complaining about muscle problems.
He will certainly be without Alisson again, as he recovers from an untimely hamstring issue.
Annoyingly, the Brazilian stopper has a fantastic record against the Toffees, as well, with only eight goals given up across 12 career games, when facing Liverpool’s arch nemesis.
Giorgi Mamardashvili will be tasked with keeping the likes of Iliman Ndiaye quiet; instead, with the Georgian ensuring PSG could only put away four goals across two legs, with some agile saves.
Alongside those named, there are also some long-term absentees in the form of Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, and Wataru Endo, who all remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Conor Bradley
- Injury: Knee (ligament damage, but not an ACL rupture).
- Context: Bradley landed awkwardly during a match against Arsenal in January and required surgery.
- Status: He is currently recovering from the operation performed earlier this year.
- Return Date: Pre-season. He is expected to return during the summer to prepare for the 2026/27 season.
Giovanni Leoni
- Injury: ACL (Knee).
- Context: The young defender suffered the injury during his debut against Southampton in the Carabao Cup.
- Status: He has undergone surgery and is currently in the long-term rehabilitation phase.
- Return Date: Next Season. He is ruled out for the remainder of the 2025/26 campaign.
Wataru Endo
- Injury: Ruptured ankle ligaments.
- Context: The midfielder suffered the injury against Sunderland in February and subsequently underwent surgery.
- Status: He will not play for Liverpool again this season. However, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu confirmed that Endo is progressing well in rehabilitation.
- Return Date: June (World Cup). All parties are aiming for him to be match-fit in time for the international tournament.
In some more positive news, Liverpool youngster Jayden Danns could feature again soon, after suffering from a devastating hamstring injury for the U21s back in March, when facing Manchester City.
With Rio Nguhoma‘s explosiveness well-known at this point, Slot could be tempted to chuck another homegrown ace in Danns into first-team contention shortly.
Of course, this won’t be immediate, though, as the tricky U21s forward has a long-standing history with disruptive injuries.
It will be fascinating to see what lineup the under-fire Dutchman goes with for the crucial clash at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with a potential 11th defeat of the Premier League season on the horizon, completely unforgivable.
