Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed he does not expect to be without midfielder Florian Wirtz for long after the German picked up an injury during the build-up to Sunday’s victory over Nottingham Forest.
Wirtz had been named in Slot’s starting lineup but ended up being replaced by Curtis Jones at the last minute after suffering a back injury in the warm-up. While it was serious enough to force him out of the scrappy 1–0 win, Slot does not expect Wirtz to miss any more action.
“He felt his back in the warm-up,” Slot said after the win. “We don’t think it’s serious. He wasn’t able to be 100% or close enough to it to start.
“After being in this league for six months, he knows no matter how good you are on the ball, you need to be 100%. We hope he’ll be with us next week.”
Wirtz’s Influence Missed in Uncomfortable Victory
While this season began with significant questions about Liverpool’s decision to spend £116.5 million ($157.4 million) on Wirtz, those critical voices have begun to fade into the distance in recent weeks.
Wirtz has racked up five goals and two assists in 2026, showing clear signs of finding his feet in English football and producing some of his finest performances in a Reds shirt—the sort of quality which was sorely lacking against Forest on Sunday.
In Wirtz’s absence, Liverpool produced what Slot admitted was possibly their worst performance of his tenure, needing a 97th-minute strike from Alexis Mac Allister to seal a win their own manager confessed they did not deserve.
It would be easy to point at Jones, Wirtz’s direct replacement in the lineup, in search of blame. The 25-year-old did not create a single chance during his time on the field—Wirtz has created seven in his last four outings—but the reality is that malaise spread across the entire Liverpool squad.
Cody Gakpo also failed to create a chance, while Mohamed Salah offered up just one opportunity before his withdrawal in the 77th minute. In the Egyptian’s place, 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha proved the injection of life sorely needed to go on and secure victory.