I can do a lot of things - Ekitiké welcomes partnership with Isak

Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces a tactical question of how to best deploy his two star strikers, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitiké, but the latter has made it clear he's ready and willing to work alongside his new teammate.

Thus far, Slot has avoided playing both forwards simultaneously, preferring to name one in the starting XI and the other on the bench.

Isak has seen action in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid and started in the Carabao Cup against Southampton and the Premier League against Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Ekitiké started in the Merseyside derby but was forced to miss the trip to Selhurst Park after picking up a "stupid" red card against Southampton.

The manager has had to manage Isak carefully, given his lack of a pre-season following his transfer saga.

Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League fixture against Galatasaray, 23-year-old Ekitiké addressed the challenge of competing for minutes with the club's record signing, Isak, while also suggesting a dual-striker setup is a viable option.

“It is good that Alex is here. For me, at my age, I have a lot of things to improve and learn,” Ekitiké said.

He added, “It is for the coach to decide how we want to play. I can play in a two-striker composition or just with one striker; I can do a lot of things. If we have to play together, I can do that.”

Ekitiké also used the pre-game press conference to apologise for the disciplinary mistake that cost him a place in the last match.

"It was not smart. Obviously, I punished myself a lot. I felt disappointed to watch the boys from home on Saturday. I apologise to everybody, to my teammates. It won’t happen again. I just moved on now. I am looking forward.”

Finally, Ekitiké reaffirmed his commitment to the club despite the high-profile arrival of Isak, stating: “This club was the best choice for me...It just fitted what I was looking for. It was a good choice for me. That’s why I chose Liverpool.”

The natural scenario for the pair to play together is when Liverpool is chasing a result late in a match. However, the possibility of Slot utilising Ekitiké in a wider position has been raised. While the Frenchman primarily played as a centre forward during his time at Frankfurt, and only made four Ligue 1 appearances from 2019 to 2021.