Paul Gorst assesses Hugo Ekitike’s situation at Liverpool and, with the thoughts of Michael Owen, looks ahead to when Alexander Isak may be able to return
16:37, 12 Feb 2026
Alexander Isak comes on as a substitute for team-mate Hugo Ekitike during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield earlier this season (Image: Getty Images)
One of the things that jumped out at Liverpool when they were pursuing Hugo Ekitike was just how high his ceiling was, despite being in possession of an all-round game that had already led them to the brink of a £79m deal with Eintracht Frankfurt.
In their view, the then France Under-21 international was good enough to become known, in time, as one of the world’s finest frontmen. With 15 goals in his debut campaign at Anfield at the age of just 23, it’s easy to see why those assessing that potential came to such a conclusion.
Ekitike has been a breath of fresh air in a troublesome season for Liverpool and he is almost certain to finish as the club’s first leading goalscorer not named Mohamed Salah since 2017, when Philippe Coutinho’s relatively modest haul of 14 topped the charts.
Now a fully-fledged France international, Ekitike insisted recently, in a post-match chat with a handful of reporters that included the ECHO, that he had not set a target for himself. But after notching two against Newcastle United to move to 15 across all competitions, the next milestone of 20 would be a significant one for someone still adjusting to different surroundings and a new-look team experiencing a difficult transition.
Ekitike was supposed to have been aided and abetted by £125m Alexander Isak after his stunning – and admittedly acrimonious – British-record move from Newcastle United was belatedly secured on September 1.
Instead, the former Paris Saint-Germain starlet has had to shoulder much of the goalscoring burden himself, with Isak struggling for fitness and then succumbing to injury. Throw in an ordinary campaign for out-of-sorts Cody Gakpo and a Mohamed Salah, who has quite often looked so bereft of his own otherworldly talents and the pressure on Ekitike has perhaps reached unfair levels at times.
That being said, the likable Frenchman has taken up the mantle, producing moments of genuine quality that hint at a prosperous future at Anfield.
Those on the inside now see the next step of Ekitike’s development to be able to piece together these sorts of performances across 90 minutes of Premier League intensity.
Arne Slot has spoken at times about the need for him to do that and it has been noticeable how some decision-making has been poor late on in games as well as the execution of some passing and shooting as a result of fatigue and tiredness setting in.
It’s nothing out of the ordinary for a player still relatively new to life in the top flight of English football but the leg break to Isak, suffered when scoring in the 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in December, means Ekitike has been asked to play longer than he would have had the Sweden international been more readily available. It was noticeable in the early weeks of the season how often they traded places in games.
It’s a delicate balancing act for Slot, who must be mindful of not stretching the only senior No.9 he has available to him to breaking point at a time when Isak’s recovery process goes on. Ekitike has already been forced to undergo an MRI scan over a suspected hamstring injury last month and while that was avoided, losing him for any period of time is an unthinkable prospect, given the paucity of forward options and the enormity of Champions League qualification.
“Looking at Isak’s injury and recovery, for me injuries have gone full circle versus when I was playing,” Michael Owen tells the ECHO. “If he would have picked up that injury 20-30 years ago, it would have been a lot worse than right now.
“If I would have had my career again and someone said tear your hamstring or break your leg and you’re going to be out for the same amount of time, I would have taken the broken leg. You can absolutely come back from fractures or ligament injuries, the worst ones are a rupture of your hamstring, that leaves a scar and deprives you of speed in later years.
“So, yes, with today’s medicine and recovery plans, absolutely he can be as good as he left off. He won’t be better, and you tell yourself I’m going to come back fitter and better than before, but just to get back to the same level he was, this is a result.
“These injuries aren’t good for the body and hard to come back from, but let’s hope he comes back to the level he was at.”
Isak’s return is still unknown and Slot said it was still some way away when asked at a recent press conference. The former Newcastle man may still be able to play a meaningful part in this season but long-time fans will recognise similarities between the current No.9’s situation and that of 2004 club-record capture, Djibril Cisse, who broke his leg just a few months into his Anfield career before returning later that season as a bit-part player from the bench for Rafa Benitez.
Liverpool went on to win the Champions League that season, with Cisse scoring in the penalty shootout final win over AC Milan but before Isak can envision doing likewise, the recovery process simply continues.
It will surely be accepted behind the scenes that the club won’t see the best of their ludicrously expensive striker until next season, when he has felt the benefit of a full and uninterrupted pre-season programme.
Owen adds: “Isak can 100% be a success at Liverpool. He is total class. He’s shown in the Premier League already what he can do, there is no question about his ability at all.
“It will take time to get back to full fitness, then his minutes will be managed to not to cause a recurrence of this injury.”