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Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has been named in the French national team squad for its upcoming games against Azerbaijan and Iceland, suggesting that the 23-year-old might be fit enough to face Chelsea this weekend.
Ekitike and Alisson Becker both went off injured as Liverpool played Galatasaray in the Champions League midweek, with Arne Slot to offer an update on Friday. The Dutchman's press conference is scheduled for 9am UK time (4am ET) tomorrow.
Giovanni Leoni is the only long-term absentee for Liverpool at the moment and he underwent surgery for an ACL injury earlier this week. Federico Chiesa, meanwhile, had a minor knock and didn't travel to Turkey.
"It is never positive if you go off like this," Slot said on Tuesday when he was asked about Alisson. "You can be sure that he is not playing on Saturday. We will see how long it takes but he definitely won’t play against Chelsea."
On Ekitike, Slot was unable to offer an immediate diagnosis on Ekitike but he suggested the Reds were hopeful "he isn’t in a bad way". The player has since been assessed.
Ekitike made his first appearance for France in the last international break, featuring against Iceland and Ukraine. Alisson was left out of the Brazil squad, hinting that he will be sidelined for longer.
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