Just when Liverpool thought their Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain couldn’t get any worse, the club was hit with some absolutely devastating news.
Hugo Ekitike is officially set to be out for nine months after sustaining a serious injury in Tuesday night’s second-leg defeat at Anfield.
This is a tough pill to swallow for everyone involved at the club, especially considering the 23-year-old enjoyed a truly exciting debut season on Merseyside.
In the first half of the high-stakes clash with PSG, Ekitike appeared to lose his footing on the grass while chasing a loose ball.
It’s a completely non-contact event, and as any experienced soccer fan knows, this is almost always the worst-case scenario.
Visibly in pain, he required immediate medical intervention and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in front of a stunned, silent Anfield crowd.
Liverpool confirm seriousness of Ekitike’s injury
He will undergo corrective surgery just before embarking on a grueling rehabilitation process that is expected to keep him out of competitive action until early 2027.
Liverpool confirmed this publicly in a statement:
“Liverpool FC can confirm that Hugo Ekitike has sustained a serious injury to his Achilles tendon. The forward had to be substituted after slipping on the grass during the first half of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield. Subsequent tests confirmed a ruptured Achilles tendon.”
A huge setback for the attackers and their team
The timing couldn’t be worse. Ekitike arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt in a blockbuster £69m (€95m) deal last summer and has fully justified his hefty price tag.
Before this painful setback, the dynamic forward had already amassed an impressive record of 17 goals and six assists in 45 appearances, firmly establishing himself as a key focal point in Arne Slott’s side.
Liverpool now have to survive the remaining six crucial Premier League games and the majority of next season without their most lethal weapon.
With eight senior league caps and two goals under his belt, he was establishing himself as a truly reliable option in France’s front line and was virtually guaranteed a place in the World Cup squad.
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