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Arne Slot has allayed concerns over Hugo Ekitike's fitness, confirming that the double-goal scorer was substituted due to cramp during Saturday's 2-0 triumph over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Ekitike netted Liverpool's fastest goal of the season, finding the back of the net just 46 seconds into the match against the Seagulls.
He then notched up his 10th goal in all competitions with a second-half header from substitute Mohamed Salah's corner. The French international was replaced by Alexander Isak in the second half after appearing to have an issue, which Slot has now clarified as cramp. This means the No. 22 will be fit for next week's journey to Tottenham Hotspur.
"Just before I took him off, there was a moment where he could hardly walk any more because of cramp," Slot explained.
"So what I see with him and all the players we brought had to adapt to the Premier League because they are all young, maybe except for Alex (Isak) because of intensity, some of them had to adapt to Premier League and the Champions League.
"And I see all of them making progress in that, so Hugo had cramp today but I can assure you he did twice as much at the beginning of the season when I had to take him off with cramp as well and that is what this league brings as well.
"If you cannot be so intense for such a long time then it is so hard to win a game of football. The best athletes play in this league. We are trying to prepare them more and more and I can see progress for all our signings."
Slot also reserved praise for Ekitike after his latest impressive performance in a red shirt as Liverpool climbed to sixth in the Premier League standings following the win over Fabian Hurzeler's Seagulls.
"I think I can see the players we have brought in this season have progressed," Slot had told Sky Sports earlier.
"They are getting stronger and stronger and fitter and fitter. I can see them getting stronger in the duels they play. Hugo is an example of that, but others are examples of that too."
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On Florian Wirtz, Slot told BBC Match of the Day: "The way he handles the ball and how comfortable he is with that... I think he is also one of the players I say when he is getting better and better.
"He is getting stronger and stronger. All the hard work the players have put in over the last few months is paying off. After so many games played, it is a week where hopefully we can recover a little bit. There will be some training time."
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