Liverpool’s already painful Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain was compounded by a serious-looking injury to summer signing Hugo Ekitike, with a leading sports medicine expert warning of a potential lengthy recovery that could sideline the Frenchman for the rest of the season and rule him out of the 2026 World Cup.
The 23-year-old striker was stretchered off in the 28th minute of Tuesday night’s second-leg quarter-final at Anfield, collapsing to the turf with no opponent nearby while Liverpool trailed 2-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. Ekitike clutched his lower right leg in visible distress, immediately pointing towards his Achilles area before receiving on-field treatment and leaving on a stretcher. He was replaced by Mohamed Salah, who was making what could be his final European appearance in a Liverpool shirt.
Liverpool eventually fell to a 2-0 defeat, with Ousmane Dembélé’s brace confirming PSG’s progress to the semi-finals. The result ends the Reds’ European campaign and leaves them trophyless for the 2025/26 season, with their remaining focus now on securing a top-four Premier League finish to ensure Champions League football returns to Anfield next term.
Dr Rajpal Brar, a sports scientist and Doctor of Physical Therapy, offered a sobering early assessment shortly after the incident. Posting on X, Brar wrote: “Unfortunately, Ekitike’s injury looks like the prototypical Achilles rupture push-off mechanism (see pic). Looking at 7-9 month return to sport for elite footballers; longer return to pre-injury levels.”
While Liverpool have declined to comment officially until scans and a full diagnosis are completed, the non-contact nature of the injury — a sudden collapse during a routine movement — has raised immediate fears of a ruptured Achilles tendon, an injury notorious for its long rehabilitation timeline in professional football.
Manager Arne Slot expressed his concern in his post-match interview with Amazon Prime: “He’s not good. We could all see that it didn’t look good. He went home in the second half, so I haven’t seen him yet. Losing a game is hard, but again losing a player is something we’ve had many times this season. It’s very hard for him at this time of the season.”
Slot’s comments echoed the visible worry on the pitch, where both Liverpool and PSG players, including Marquinhos, gathered around the distressed forward.
Teammate Ibrahima Konaté, who shares international duties with Ekitike for France, was equally downcast. Speaking to Amazon Prime, the defender said: “I’m very sad for him. I think it is bad. I don’t know. I send him my prayers and everything.”
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, described the moment: “There was nobody around Hugo Ekitike, and he has damaged his ankle. He is pointing towards his Achilles, which is a real concern. He got back up, and he just collapsed to the floor. Marquinhos had hold of his hand, and he is in agony.”
A confirmed Achilles rupture would not only end Ekitike’s 2025/26 campaign but also jeopardise his place in Didier Deschamps’ France squad for the 2026 World Cup. The £69m summer arrival from Eintracht Frankfurt had been in strong form at Anfield, establishing himself as a key figure in Arne Slot’s attack and forcing his way into senior international contention.
For Liverpool, the blow adds to a season already marked by significant injury concerns. Slot, however, urged his side to use the performance against an improved PSG side as a foundation moving forward.
“Many things happened and we don’t have to forget that,” he said. “The game today meant a lot of things because against PSG, who are a bit better than last season, to make a performance like that we have to build from that and realise how good we can be. It is the minimum standard for Liverpool to play Champions League. We have six games left, and we have to give all in those six games.”
As the club awaits official confirmation on Ekitike’s condition, the early expert prognosis paints a bleak picture for the talented young striker at a critical stage of his career. Supporters and teammates alike will be hoping for the best possible outcome when the full medical update arrives.