Liverpool's Florian Wirtz drops huge injury hint for West Ham clash after Nottingham Forest scare

Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz has dropped a major injury hint for the Reds' clash with West Ham United following his scare over the weekend.

The former Bayer Leverkusen starlet was a last-minute withdrawal from the starting lineup against Nottingham Forest, which Arne Slot explained was due to a back injury.

Curtis Jones was called up to replace Wirtz in the moments leading up to kickoff at the City Ground, where the Premier League champions struggled for invention without their chief playmaker.

Liverpool nevertheless managed to grind out a 1-0 win thanks to a late Alexis Mac Allister winner, but concern soon turned to Wirtz ahead of their upcoming showdowns with West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In his post-match press conference, Slot affirmed that the Germany international's injury was not serious, although he refused to offer any guarantees over his availability for the Reds' next matches.

Liverpool receive Florian Wirtz injury boost after Nottingham Forest scare

However, Wirtz has suggested that he will be fine to face the Hammers, having shared a hopeful Instagram story on Tuesday of him rehabilitating in a sauna.

The 22-year-old struck a playful pose for the image, which was accompanied with a recharging emoji and a handshake emoji, hinting that he will be refreshed and ready to go this weekend.

Wirtz's update will come as a significant boost to Liverpool, as the £116m man was starting to find his feet in Slot's system just before his injury, having initially struggled to settle in the top flight.

Wirtz has come up with 14 goal involvements in 35 matches for Liverpool in all tournaments during the 2025-26 season, including four of his own and three assists in the Premier League.

The Reds' narrow win at Nottingham Forest left them sixth in the Premier League table, level on points with Chelsea and three worse off than Manchester United thanks to the Red Devils' beating of Everton on Monday.

When will Liverpool's other injured players return?

Florian Wirtz on Instagram.

Fully charged ? Let's hope he's back for Saturday ? pic.twitter.com/VMrRL2wqfn
— Anfield Edition | æ (@AnfieldEdition) February 24, 2026

Not only was Wirtz the latest addition to Liverpool's injury list over the weekend, he was always expected to be the first cab off the rank in terms of recoveries, and that scenario should play out as anticipated.

Wirtz's swift recovery could be one of two injury boosts for the weekend, as Jeremie Frimpong is nearing a return from a thigh problem and may be given the green light to face the Hammers.

There is every chance that Alexander Isak will be the next injury victim to depart the Anfield infirmary after Frimpong, as Slot is hopeful of having the Swedish striker back from his leg fracture in late March or early April in a best-case scenario.

However, there is no timeframe on Wataru Endo's comeback from a serious ankle issue, while defenders Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are both out for the season with their knee injuries.