BRIGHTON, England — Liverpool’s attacking options were dealt a severe blow mere minutes into their Premier League encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, as French striker Hugo Ekitike was forced to exit the pitch with a left leg injury. The unfortunate incident occurred during the third minute of play when Ekitike became entangled in a robust challenge with Brighton’s veteran midfielder James Milner. Despite receiving immediate medical attention on the sidelines and attempting to continue, the 21-year-old forward found himself unable to run off the discomfort. His premature departure in the eighth minute prompted manager Jürgen Klopp to introduce Curtis Jones as an early substitute. This setback compounds Liverpool’s existing personnel concerns, with key players Mohamed Salah and first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker already sidelined due to injuries. The timing proves particularly inconvenient for Ekitike, who had recently earned a call-up to the French national team squad for upcoming international friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States.