Injury sustained against PSG is likely to rule him out for between nine and 12 months
Hugo Ekitike is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles tendon during Liverpool’s Champions League game with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old forward was forced off after just 22 minutes of the quarter-final second leg at Anfield, leaving the pitch on a stretcher. A source close to Ekitike said the player heard his Achilles snap before falling to the ground.
Further scans are expected to determine whether the rupture is partial or complete, but the injury is likely to rule him out for between nine and 12 months. That timeline means Ekitike will not play anymore this season for Liverpool and will miss the upcoming World Cup with France.
Liverpool have yet to officially confirm the diagnosis, though manager Arne Slot admitted after the match that “it doesn’t look good”.
Teammate Ibrahima Konate also expressed concern, saying: “I think it is bad. I don’t know, I have heard many things, I have no word to talk about that because with the World Cup coming it is very, very hard for him and I send him my prayers.”
The club are already preparing for surgery and a rehabilitation programme for Ekitike. The injury is a significant setback for Liverpool as they push for a top-five finish in the Premier League. Ekitike had made a highly positive start since moving to Anfield last summer and has been one of Liverpool’s best players this season, producing 17 goals and six assists in all competitions before his injury.
