Florian Wirtz injury update ahead of Liverpool vs West Ham | Football

Arne Slot confirmed that Florian Wirtz is expected be unavailable for Liverpool when they host West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wirtz was absent from Liverpool’s dramatic 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after sustaining an injury during the warm-up.

Speaking shortly after the game, Slot confirmed that the German midfielder had picked up a back injury but said he ‘expected’ him to be fit for Saturday’s clash with West Ham.

However, speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Dutchman suggested that Wirtz is now set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

‘I don’t expect Florian to be available so that’s a disappointment,’ Slot said.

‘Every time my player isn’t available, it’s a disappointment and also something I didn’t expect after last week, but that’s sometimes how things can evolve and unfortunately, this time not in a positive way.’

Asked if Liverpool knew the extent of Wirz’s injury, Slot responded: ‘At this moment of time, no.

‘And usually when I say that I do know but I don’t want to share it, but now I honestly don’t know.’

Wirtz made a slow start to life at Anfield following his record-breaking move from Bayer Leverkusen over th summer.

But the 22-year-old had begun to show positive signs in a Liverpool shirt, notching up five goals and two assists in his 12 matches in all competitions since the start of 2026.

‘It’s a big accomplishment for him to stay fit for such a long time because he had to make the step up from where he played to Liverpool and the Premier League, and that he stayed fit all the time tells you a lot about the mentality and the work-rate of a player,’ Slot added.

‘But unfortunately last week and this week he is not available, which is a disappointment for him and for us, because he played really well lately.’

There was some positive news for Liverpool, though, with Slot confirming that full-back Jeremie Frimpong is available for the first time since picking up an injury against Qarabag at the end of January.

‘Jeremie is available. He trained with us a few times this week so he’s available,’ the Liverpool boss said.

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