Hugo Ekitike insists he is ready to shoulder the burden of being Liverpool’s chief goalscorer in the absence of Alexander Isak
01:00, 04 Jan 2026Updated 08:42, 04 Jan 2026
Alexander Isak comes on as a substitute for team-mate Hugo Ekitike during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield. (Image: Getty Images)
Hugo Ekitike insists he can shoulder the burden of being Liverpool’s chief goalscorer in the absence of Alexander Isak. And the Reds striker says he feels for his colleague after Sweden international Isak suffered a broken leg in the 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur last month.
Isak was left with a fibula fracture when scoring in the win at Spurs and the £125m forward is expected to be sidelined until at least March after undergoing surgery within 24 hours of the break.
And Ekitike, who is the Reds’ top scorer this term with 11, is primed to take on the mantle at Anfield, with Mohamed Salah also out of the team while Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign continues in Morocco.
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“Obviously that kind of thing happened and I was very sorry for him because it’s not funny when you come to a new club and get injured with that kind of injury – it’s difficult,” Ekitike told LFCTV.
“But for me, I try to do my job. The coach puts me on the pitch and I’ll show him and show the fans that I can help the team. It doesn’t matter if I score, if I give assists, the most important [thing] for me is to win.”
Liverpool continued their unbeaten streak with a goalless draw with Leeds United at Anfield on New Year’s Day and while the result was generally viewed as a frustrating one for Arne Slot’s side, it moved them further away from a desperate period between late September and November when they lost nine of 12.
Ekitike added: “Obviously it was a tough period for us but we just stick together, try to work. Obviously now it’s a bit better but I can’t say it’s the best because we have had a few draws in the last series. But I think the most important [thing] when you play here is to win, so we can’t be happy.
“It was obviously special to play [around] Christmas and the next day after New Year. It’s really exciting. I was in a position when I was watching on TV, so being here and able to play that kind of game is a blessing.
“Now we’re going back to a busy, busy period, a lot of games in this month of January, but it’s up to us to be fit, recover well after every game and be ready for the next one all the time.”
Liverpool return to action when they are hosted by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.