Liverpool’s Midfield Conundrum Ahead of Wolves Clash

Florian Wirtz faces significant uncertainty regarding his participation in Liverpool’s Premier League away game against Wolves on Tuesday, as manager Arne Slot has disclosed in an update concerning the midfielder’s spinal ailment.

The Germany international, Wirtz, was absent from the Reds’ 5-2 triumphant match at home against West Ham on Saturday, as well as their 1-0 success over Nottingham Forest six days prior.

Below are Slot’s comments as he got his squad ready for two encounters against the last-place club at Molineux within a four-day span.

A standout performance from Florian Wirtz against Wolves 💫pic.twitter.com/LT9jsIrPOB

— Premier League (@premierleague)December 27, 2025

Florian Wirtz’s Ailment: Expected Return Frame ‘the Following Week’

When questioned about Wirtz’s readiness to play on Monday, Slot responded, “It will likely be too early for tomorrow, and perhaps for the match at the weekend, too.”

“We’ll monitor the situation. Our anticipation is to have him back by the following week – potentially sooner, possibly a bit later, but within that timeframe.”

This implies Wirtz could be available for the initial match of the Champions League last 16 phase against Galatasaray on March 10. Additionally, Liverpool will welcome Tottenham in the Premier League five days subsequent to that.

How will Liverpool be Affected by Florian Wirtz’s Absence? Statistics and Scoring Contributions

Following his £116 million transfer from Bayer Leverkusen in June, sealed with a five-year agreement, Wirtz experienced a gradual beginning, being unable to secure a goal or a setup in his initial 12 league outings.

The 22-year-old was in excellent condition before his ailment, registering 10 direct contributions to goals across 15 appearances in all competitions subsequent to scoring his first goal for the club during their 2-1 home victory over Wolves on December 27.

The 2025 German Footballer of the Year was included in Liverpool’s squad at Forest, but he suffered the problem during the pre-match exercises.

Liverpool had been anticipating a significant portion of their scoring this season to originate from their £125m most expensive acquisition, Alexander Isak, but the Sweden striker is recuperating from a fractured leg.

Hugo Ekitike stands as their foremost goalscorer with 15 goals across all competitions. Mohamed Salah, who was last season’s Premier League top scorer, has, however, only netted seven times in the 2025/26 campaign.

Presented here are Liverpool’s leading goal-getters this season. Ekitike also scored during their Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace.

Upcoming Events for Liverpool: Match Calendar

Liverpool will ascend to fourth place in the table, surpassing Aston Villa, should they defeat Wolves, who secured a two-nil victory on their home ground against the Villans on Friday.

Subsequently, they will contest the same matchup in the FA Cup fifth round prior to recommencing their Champions League journey in Istanbul.