Liverpool ended their losing run and any talk of a crisis in style by hammering Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 – but the night ended on a sour note with Alexander Isak among two injury woes.
The Reds fly home from Germany on Thursday morning having avoided five straight defeats for the first time since 1953, a realistic possibility when 1-0 down in this game.
Goals from Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai sent them back to winning ways but Arne Slot was left with a bittersweet feeling after Isak joined Jeremie Frimpong on the treatment table.
The £125million striker went off at half-time reporting pain in his groin and Slot said: ‘Alex was well prepared to play but the margins are small, I am hoping this is not this bad. If he would be out for a few weeks that would throw him back. Jeremie has a hamstring issue. He had to go off.
‘(Isak) had to go off at half-time because he felt his groin a little bit. That’s a pity. It’s such a difficult balance to find with a player who has missed three months, you bring him slowly. People argue to play him longer.
‘Now we play him for the second time in three days and he has to go off, let’s hope for the best.’
Alexander Isak was withdrawn at half-time of Liverpool’s clash with Eintracht Frankfurt with a ‘groin injury’
The Swede has scored just a solitary goal since joining the Reds from Newcastle United
Both will be assessed upon their return to Merseyside. Frimpong, who has already missed a month of this season with a hamstring injury, is facing a longer prognosis than Isak, who the club hope has just a minor setback.
Slot was delighted with the performance, though, which featured Mohamed Salah starting on the bench. And the Dutchman hailed Ekitike who scored a fine goal on his return to Frankfurt, the club who sold him to Liverpool for £79m this summer.
‘The first goal he scored was special. You can see his pace in a moment like that. We were able the last few weeks to create many, many, many, many chances. But unfortunately, we weren’t always able to score them.
‘And today with Alex and Hugo, I brought two players on the pitch who are usually able to score goals.’
Ekitike is Liverpool’s top scorer this season with six goals. He said: ‘It was a great feeling. It was something special for me to come back, I would say at home. I know everyone here. It was important for me to come and score my first goal in the Champions League.
‘I have so much respect for Frankfurt. They made me the player I am now. I wouldn’t be here without them.’
On his link-up in a front two with Isak, the Frenchman added: ‘We can improve together. He’s a very good player. In time, we have to work together – the links will come and then it will work.’
