Liverpool’s head of injury recovery appears to drop major Hugo Ekitike fitness hint in his FPL team ahead of crunch clash with Arsenal
Liverpool’s head of physiotherapy appeared to drop a major clue about Hugo Ekitike’s availability… by removing him from his Fantasy Premier League squad.
Lee Nobes, who has been at the club since 2018, replaced the Frenchman in his squad, sparking speculation that the striker would miss his team’s match against Arsenal.
Nobes’ team is called DJs20 and many fans noticed his decision to transfer Ekitike to replace Igor Thiago, whom he named captain.
The Fantasy outfit is listed among other Premier League players and staff on a website called Real Players League.
Ekitike missed Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage, but the specific nature of his problem has not been disclosed.
When asked about it, Slot said: “He traveled because he felt something during the training session.
Lee Nobes (left), pictured celebrating last season’s title win, has left Hugo Ekitike out of his Fantasy Premier League roster.
“He had an MRI and we got the results while we were flying. We were hoping it was a bit of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which he also suffered from.
“He has to play 80 or 90 minutes in every match for the first time in his life without a winter break and for the first time, at Champions League level. It’s not a big surprise that he gets a bit of DOMS.
“We were hoping it would be DOMS and we could have used it as a submarine. But unfortunately we saw a little more and we couldn’t take any risks.
So it seems unlikely that Ekitike will play a role against the Gunners and Nobes’ fantastic move reinforces that suggestion.
According to Liverpool’s official club website, Nobes “left Manchester City for the Reds, where he had spent the previous 11 years after joining the club from Oldham Athletic and working at Bury FC in similar roles.”
There is no doubt that the club would prefer the medical status of its players to remain information it can retain, although it is of course possible that Nobes left Ekitike out of its fantasy roster as a tactical decision.
Ekitike has been one of Liverpool’s shining lights during an otherwise disappointing season so far.
He has fourteen goals in all competitions and would be missed badly in Thursday’s match against the Premier League leaders.
Nobes’ team show he removed Ekitike to replace Brentford’s Igor Thiago, who he named captain
Ekitike could miss Liverpool’s game against Arsenal and the club’s chief physiotherapist appeared to hint that the striker was available.
With Alexander Isak injured for months with a broken leg, the Reds must rely on the depth of their squad.
Cody Gakpo or Federico Chiesa could start in place of Ekitike if he actually misses the trip to the Emirates.
Liverpool are fourth and 14 points behind Arsenal – entering the match as significant underdogs.