Hugo Ekitike appears inconsolable as Liverpool star leaves pitch in tears

Hugo Ekitike left the pitch in tears after he was forced off inside the first 10 minutes of Liverpool’s clash with Brighton.

Just minutes after kick-off at The Amex, the Frenchman came off worse after a strong challenge from former Red James Milner.

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Ekitike stayed down after the tackle and looked to be in real pain, with the medical team quickly coming on to give him treatment.

Appearing to have suffered a dead leg, the 23-year-old eventually got back on his feet and tried to continue.

But Ekitike was unable to shake off the knock as he continued to hobble around the pitch, and ultimately had to be replaced by Curtis Jones on eight minutes.

The Reds star looked inconsolable as he left the pitch – and could be seen in tears before heading straight down the tunnel.

His emotional reaction will likely be in response to a crucial stage of the season approaching, both at club and international level.

The bigger picture

Ekitike was named in Didier Deschamp’s France squad for their upcoming fixtures against Brazil and Colombia.

This would be his last chance to impress before their final World Cup squad is named, although the injury now leaves his involvement in the March friendlies hanging in the balance.

There is serious competition for a starting role in France’s attack – with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue all battling out with Ekitike to get on the teamsheet.

Meanwhile, he will be hoping this does not affect his involvement in Liverpool‘s Champions League quarter final against Paris Saint-Germain.

The Reds face the European champions in the first leg of the last eight clash on April 8, in a rematch of last year’s thriller.

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Arne Slot recently revealed that striker Alexander Isak will be back next month following an extended spell on the sidelines with a broken leg.

Despite Isak’s arrival in the same summer for British record £125million fee, Ekitike has enjoyed a far greater impact.

Since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79m deal, Ekitike has fired in 17 goals altogether, 11 of which have been in the Premier League.

By contrast, Isak managed three goals in 16 games altogether before his injury.

Fast start

Ekitike’s early withdrawal was just the start of the drama in a breathless first 30 minutes at the Amex.

Just minutes after the Reds star limped off, Brighton took the lead through Danny Welbeck, who headed home from close range.

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This was Welbeck’s 11th league goal of the campaign, and it saw him make history in the process.

He became just the third player in Premier League history to score more than 10 goals in a season aged 35 or over, joining Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gary McAllister in the exclusive club.

But Brighton’s lead was short-lived, as Milos Kerkez pounced on a Lewis Dunk error to finish past Bart Verbruggen and equalise, with the two sides heading in a half-time with the score at 1-1.