Injured Wirtz fires against critics – “I don’t really care what anyone has to say about me”

National soccer player Florian Wirtz is threatened with failure for Liverpool FC's two top games against Chelsea and Arsenal this week. The playmaker had to be substituted in the 2-0 win against Brighton with a minor ankle injury. His appearance on Wednesday in the round of 16 of the League Cup against Chelsea FC is just as open as that against champions Arsenal FC on Sunday.

“Unfortunately Flo had to leave the field because he slightly twisted his ankle,” said coach Andoni Iraola. "It doesn't look like anything big, but we play every three days, so we have to see how things are going with him."

Wirtz himself does not expect a longer outage. "We haven't done any checks yet. I don't think it's too wild. I've twisted my ankle every now and then in the last few weeks. I have to get that under control," said the offensive player at Sky.

Football as a fun factor

Wirtz had put in a strong performance against Brighton – Liverpool’s first home win of the season in the Premier League. Former German international Pascal Groß deflected a shot from the 23-year-old into his own goal to give the Reds the lead. Shortly afterwards, Alexander Isak scored the second goal.

According to his own statement, Wirtz is not affected by the ongoing criticism of his inconsistent performances in the Liverpool jersey. He said on Sky that it was “very easy” for him to concentrate fully on his game. "Because I don't care about it at all. I don't give a damn what anyone has to say about me."

Wirtz was repeatedly criticized, especially at the beginning of the season. Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher in particular publicly attacked the 23-year-old on several occasions. Wirtz now emphasized that he plays football “because I enjoy it.” He wants to be successful. “Everything is fine,” said the former Leverkusen player.