Florian Wirtz was left out of Liverpool’s matchday squad against Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday after Arne Slot said the forward was struck by a stomach infection. The Liverpool head coach said Wirtz tried to make himself available, but illness cut short his week of preparation. rio ngumoha
Arne Slot on Wirtz
Slot told TNT Sports before kick-off, “He tried everything to be in it. But an infection in the stomach.” He added, “He wasn’t feeling well during the week.” The clearest detail for Liverpool was simple: No.7 was unavailable for a Premier League fixture at Anfield, and Slot had to plan without him.
That left Liverpool with one less attacking option for a home game that had already moved into the decisive part of the weekend. Wirtz had tried earlier in the week to train, Slot said, but the issue worsened before the Chelsea match.
Training at Liverpool
Slot said, “He tried earlier in the week to train, but in the end things got worse and he wasn’t able to train with us yesterday and isn’t able to be with us today.” That sequence matters because it shows the absence was not a last-minute tactical choice but the end point of a short but worsening illness.
For Liverpool, the immediate consequence was a reshaped squad at Anfield. Wirtz was not on the team sheet, and Liverpool had to move ahead without a player who had been available to train only briefly before the stomach infection took hold.
Chelsea at Anfield
The match itself remained a Premier League fixture at Anfield, but Liverpool entered it without one of their named attacking options. Slot’s remarks gave the reason and the timeline: Wirtz felt ill during the week, tried to train earlier, missed training yesterday, and was absent today.
The practical next step is straightforward for Liverpool supporters and staff: the club now waits to see when Wirtz can train normally again after the stomach infection, because only then can he re-enter consideration for selection.
