Liverpool coach Arne Slot appeared at a press conference to discuss Sunday's match against Everton in the 33rd round of the English Premier League at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The coach began his remarks about Ekitike's injury: "Hugo Ekitike has not undergone surgery yet. It's a tough blow for him, especially after his strong start with the team. We wish him a swift recovery, and many players have come back stronger after such injuries."

He added: "It's great to have Alexander Isak back, but he's not ready yet to play 90 minutes. We need him, but we have other options like Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa."

He emphasized, "The team's future looks promising. We have shown that we are capable of competing with the best teams in Europe, but we need some adjustments, especially with the departure of some players. As I said before, the future looks bright."

He stated, "This season we have seen many good performances, but also a lot of inconsistency in performance. I believe the reason for this is that we have mostly relied on the same players. Perhaps this is one of the reasons we conceded late goals."

He continued: "Even in the last match, I had to bring on Joe Gomez and then take him off. We had three players playing in the right-back position, as has happened several times this season."

He noted, "It has been proven that a large part of our team is capable of playing every three days, but it is also clear that not everyone can do that, either due to injuries or a decline in form. In this regard, it might be good that we are no longer participating in Europe, but of course, I would have preferred to continue there, as it gives the team extra energy. I don't see exiting Europe as a positive thing, but in reality, we now have more time to work in training."

Regarding the team's readiness, he said: "The players showed strong character against Paris Saint-Germain, and outperforming them is not an easy task. They were in excellent physical condition, and many of our players achieved record numbers in terms of physical effort, which confirms their readiness."

Regarding facing Everton: "The derby match is always a special game, and Everton is going through a good period. Playing in the new stadium gives them extra motivation, but ultimately it is the players who make the difference."

He continued: "The fans didn't affect me last season; it was the refereeing decisions that did. The atmosphere will be loud from both sides, and that's natural."

Regarding the transfer market: "Last summer, we made many deals and spent around 150 million pounds in the past periods, which reflects the nature of the club. This summer, we may not need a large number of deals if we don't need to bring in a lot of players."

He concluded: "We know that Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah will leave, so we need to replace them. There is also the contract situation of Ibrahima Konate."