Florian Wirtz has eased Liverpool's injury fears, insisting the ankle twist that forced him off in Sunday's 2-0 win over Brighton is "not too serious" — and that he expects to be back for the next game.
The 23-year-old was one of Liverpool's standout performers at Anfield before he was replaced by Trey Nyoni in the 65th minute, having earlier seen his shot deflect in off Pascal Gross to open the scoring in a victory covered in full in our Liverpool 2-0 Brighton report.
What Wirtz said about his ankle
Speaking after the game, Wirtz told the German outlet Sport1, via Liverpool.com: "We have not done any tests yet, but I think it is not too serious. I have been twisting my ankle a bit over the last few weeks. I need to get that sorted out somehow. Then I think I will be back for the next game."
Head coach Andoni Iraola struck the same cautious note. "Unfortunately, he had to leave the pitch with a small twist of the ankle," Iraola said. "It does not look very big, but we are playing every three days, so we need to see where he is."
Anfield Index also reported Wirtz calming the concern straight after the final whistle, saying the problem "should be alright" and "won't be long" — welcome news in a week when Liverpool's treatment room has already been busy, as the Szoboszlai and Frimpong double blow at Brentford showed.
A reunion with Alonso is next
If Wirtz is passed fit, the next game carries a personal edge: Chelsea visit Anfield in the Carabao Cup in midweek, now led by Xabi Alonso — the coach under whom Wirtz starred at Bayer Leverkusen. After that, Liverpool host Arsenal in the Premier League before trips to Fenerbahce and Crystal Palace ahead of the November international break.
That run is exactly why Iraola cannot afford to gamble. Liverpool sit fourth on 15 points from eight matches, and Wirtz's growing influence between the lines — linking with Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola, and producing a goal and two assists across his last four appearances — has become central to how this side attacks.
So what happens next?
The honest answer is that Liverpool must manage the ankle, not just this one scare. Wirtz admitted he has twisted it repeatedly in recent weeks, and a joint that keeps giving way under a three-games-a-week schedule is a problem waiting to grow. Rushing him back for a cup tie, however tempting the Alonso reunion is, risks losing him for the Arsenal game that matters more.
There is also a wider point about patience. Jamie Carragher had called for the £116.5 million signing to be dropped, but Wirtz brushed the criticism aside with a smile in comments to the BBC: "Maybe I am just an interesting guy, you know? I just play my football, and if people want to talk about me or judge me, that is their job. I am not focusing on that."
Beyond the Final Whistle: Wirtz is starting to look like the player Liverpool paid for — creative, brave on the ball and increasingly decisive — and the best news from Sunday was not the win, it was that his season has not been interrupted just as it was catching fire. Protect the ankle this week, and Liverpool keep their most watchable player for the games that will define their autumn. Should Iraola risk Wirtz against Chelsea, or save him for Arsenal?
