Hugo Ekitike sends Liverpool message as teammates claim derby victory over Everton

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Injured Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike took to social media to send a message to his team-mates after the Reds earned a dramatic 2-1 win against Everton on Sunday

Hugo Ekitike watched on as Liverpool claimed victory(Image: Getty)

Hugo Ekitike encouraged his Liverpool teammates to maintain their momentum following their 2-1 Merseyside derby victory over Everton. The French forward's campaign came to a premature end on Tuesday after he suffered a severe Achilles injury.

Liverpool made their maiden visit to Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday afternoon and established a 1-0 advantage within half an hour as Mohamed Salah found the net in his final encounter with the Toffees as a Red.

David Moyes' outfit drew level through Beto in the 54th minute and 1-1 appeared to be the inevitable outcome. That changed when captain Virgil van Dijk powered home a header from a corner in the 100th minute and clinched all three points for his Champions League qualification-chasing side.

Arne Slot was unable to select Ekitike for this fixture and he won't have the Frenchman available for the remainder of this season following his injury blow sustained in the 2-0 reverse to PSG. However, that hasn't prevented Ekitike from sending his best wishes to his teammates for their Premier League run-in.

Moments after the final whistle in the derby, Ekitike re-shared his club's post of the final result on Instagram and included five words of encouragement: "Massive one [loveheart emoji] keep going boysss."

Ekitike is due to go under the knife for the Achilles injury he sustained in the Champions League, which forced him off the pitch on a stretcher. The setback means he will be ruled out of the forthcoming World Cup and will be unable to represent France.

Speaking ahead of the clash against Everton, Slot addressed the heartbreaking Achilles tendon rupture, saying: "He hasn't been operated on yet.

"Devastating for him coming to a new club and having so much impact straight away. Playing against your former club in the Champions League quarter-final with so much to come for him in the summer.

Virgil van Dijk scores his side's second goal(Image: Getty)

"First thoughts are with him being out for such a long time, missing out on so many special moments. Not the first and not the last player who experienced something like this at the start of their career.

"So many examples of players coming back even stronger. He will be one of those who say maybe this injury makes me even stronger and more ready to play at an even higher level."

Ekitike broke his silence on social media following his club's confirmation that he would miss the World Cup, posting: "It's hard, maybe even unfair.

"But I'm grateful this is happening to me here, among you. I'm not alone. Your strength and your love will be my driving force. See you again soon, Anfield."