Hugo Ekitike jokes about his biggest 'weakness' after Liverpool injury return

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike shared a humorous Instagram post about low-block defences being his weakness, following his goal in the Reds' 4-1 FA Cup victory over Barnsley

Hugo Ekitike in action(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)

Liverpool's forward Hugo Ekitike has expressed his frustration at Premier League rivals for their defensive tactics. The summer signing has once again voiced his annoyance with such conservative strategies, having made similar comments earlier in his Liverpool career.

In a series of photos shared on Instagram, the former Eintracht Frankfurt striker offered a humorous insight into his struggles against defensive teams. One image was captioned: "Every legend has a weakness", featuring Samson, Achilles and 'me', with his weakness identified as the low-block.

Previously, Reds star Ekitike had posted an Instagram story showing someone reading a 'How To' guide, which he'd edited to read: "How to face low block."

The French international recently returned to the squad after missing Liverpool's last two matches due to muscle discomfort, scoring in a 4-1 FA Cup win over Barnsley.

Ekitike has proven to be a shrewd signing for the Reds, with the 23 year old netting eight Premier League goals since beating off competition from Newcastle United and Manchester United for his signature, reports the Mirror.

His comments come in the wake of Arne Slot's surprising remarks about Liverpool's match preparations and how rival teams have adapted their tactics to neutralise the Premier League champions' strengths.

He stated: "Good win, that's not performance but result.

"We wanted to go into the next round. Four beautiful goals, shot from outside the box it's not always easy to unlock a low block for any team in the world but definitely not us.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

"You have so many weapons, you have set-pieces, as we see in the Premier League. Shots outside the box, a one-v-one and in the end, we saw with the third individual skill for Curtis, Hugo and Flo.

"How difficult they [Barnsley] made it for us, a gameplan that looks similar to teams coming here.

"I think we've played 30 games, for 28 of my pre-match meetings I could throw in the bin.

"Only once or twice the team did what they did the 20 weeks before Arsenal was one of them, Barnsley always plays a 4-3-3 and today decided to go with five which I can completely understand, I'd of done it if I was their manager as well.

"You try to show them what they can expect and what they usually do but they did something different. They made it difficult for us."

The Dutch manager has endured his toughest period in charge following Liverpool's dismal run between September and November, which not only damaged their Premier League title ambitions but also raised serious questions about their Champions League qualification hopes.

However, they've mounted a stunning turnaround with an exceptional 11-match unbeaten run, catapulting the Reds into prime position for a top-four finish and edging them ever closer to securing automatic qualification for the knockout phase of Europe's elite club competition.