‘His injury worked for us’ - Arne Slot admits that Osimhen's injury helped Liverpool defeat Galatasaray

The Reds advanced to the quarterfinals with a dominant 4-0 victory at Anfield on Wednesday, overturning a 1-0 loss from the initial encounter at Rams Park in Istanbul. Osimhen was instrumental in that first leg, setting up the winning goal for Mario Lemina.

Having also scored against the Premier League giants during the group stage, Osimhen was identified as Galatasaray's primary threat heading into the return fixture. 

However, the dynamics of the match shifted dramatically just ten minutes in when the Super Eagles star was injured in a collision with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate.

In his post-match comments, Arne Slot did not downplay the Nigerian's importance, admitting that his premature exit altered the course of the tie.

"Osimhen is an incredible player for them," Slot remarked. "Yeah, [the injury] worked for us, but when you look at the first 10 minutes and how the team played with him, I thought he would play the full 90 because the rest of the team plays so well off him."

The Liverpool boss also expressed his relief at not having to contend with a fully fit Osimhen for the entire game.

"He’s shown many times in his career that he can score a goal all of a sudden. It’s not nice to see any player get injured, but he’s been very influential on Galatasaray’s performance," Slot added. 

"It was a difficult task for us when we played them in their stadium, largely because of their fans. It is a huge advantage for us to get ahead without conceding when facing that kind of pressure."

Although Osimhen attempted to play through the pain, his effectiveness was visibly diminished, leading to his substitution at halftime. 

Without their star forward, the Turkish champions struggled to cope and conceded four goals in a difficult second half.

Following the match, Galatasaray confirmed that Osimhen had suffered a fractured forearm and may need surgery, a significant setback for the club's ambitions in both the Super Lig and the Turkish Cup.

According to an official statement from Galatasaray, Osimhen is expected to be sidelined for at least a month, dealing a major blow to both the player and his club as they continue their fight for domestic titles.