Liverpool star Hugo Ekitike sent instruction after Alexander Isak injury blow

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Liverpool forward Hugo Ekitike has been urged to step up his game in the coming weeks, following an injury to Alexander Isak during Saturday evening's Premier League victory over Tottenham .

Arne Slot's team clinched a narrow 2-1 win against the north London side, with Isak scoring the opening goal early in the second half. This came after the home team was reduced to ten men in the first half when attacking midfielder Xavi Simons was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Virgil van Dijk, following VAR intervention.

Despite netting for Liverpool , Isak couldn't celebrate his second Premier League goal for the Reds. During the goal-scoring process, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven tackled him, causing Isak's ankle to become trapped between the Dutchman's legs. Initially, a stretcher was called, but Isak managed to limp off the pitch with assistance from Liverpool's medical team. The club now anxiously awaits the full extent of the injury, reports the Liverpool Echo .

However, fears of a potential ACL tear were allayed on Saturday night, with The Athletic reporting that the initial prognosis suggests a lower-leg injury, rather than a knee issue.

Ekitike netted Liverpool's second goal to extend the lead to 2-0, before Tottenham substitute Richarlison clawed one back in the closing stages.

The home side were reduced to nine men in stoppage time when Cristian Romero was dismissed for lashing out at Ibrahima Konate, but Slot's squad managed to hold on to their narrow advantage and claim all three points.

Appearing on BBC's Match of the Day following the match, pundit Shay Given acknowledged that losing Isak for any period would be a devastating setback for Liverpool.

However, he emphasised that Ekitike must now rise to the occasion during Isak's absence, particularly with Mohamed Salah also unavailable for the upcoming fixtures due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

"It's a big loss if Isak has gone off injured again," Given said. "He's had a stop-start campaign so far. But, Ekitike looks the real deal, doesn't he?"

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"A brilliant striker and he'll have to step up. Obviously, Mo Salah has left as well go to the Africa Cup of Nations. "Ekitike will have to stay fit as well because it's a big loss if Isak is out for a number of weeks now as well."

Slot provided a brief update on Isak after the final whistle, conceding it rarely bodes well when a player cannot carry on, particularly after finding the net.

"We'll have to wait and see," he said. "But if a player scores and then gets injured and doesn't try to come back on the pitch, that's usually not a good thing."

Liverpool are set to return to the pitch on December 27, just two days after Christmas , hosting Wolves at Anfield in a Premier League face-off.

However, Slot faces some challenging selection decisions due to recent injuries. Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz all had to leave the pitch at different stages during the match due to injuries.