The Premier League have confirmed how Hugo Ekitike will be punished after being sent off in Liverpool’s 2-1 Carabao Cup third round win over Southampton.
Hugo Ekitike Suspension Confirmed After Red Card Against Southampton
Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will miss this weekend’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace after being sent off in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton.
The France international came off the bench at half-time at Anfield and scored the decisive goal in the 2-1 victory. But his celebrations proved costly. Ekitike removed his shirt after finding the net — earning a yellow card — and was promptly shown a second booking, having already been cautioned minutes earlier.
There was brief confusion over whether his suspension would apply to the next round of the Carabao Cup or the league, but the Premier League has confirmed he will serve his one-match ban in Saturday’s fixture.
The suspension leaves manager Arne Slot with a potential selection headache. Record signing Alexander Isak, who joined from Newcastle after a protracted transfer saga, is still building fitness following a summer-long absence from competitive action.
Isak has already featured three times in six days — 24 minutes against Everton, 58 minutes versus Atletico Madrid, and a first-half outing against Southampton before being withdrawn at the break.
Slot previously admitted that the striker is not yet at peak condition:
“What I do know is that Alex did feel his body maybe more than ever before after the 60 minutes he played [against Atletico]. Let’s see how he recovers today and then we are going to think about the line-up.”
With Ekitike unavailable and Isak still regaining sharpness, Slot faces a key decision on how to balance Liverpool’s attack against Palace.
