Salt in the wound – Ekitike’s horrific injury leaves his World Cup hopes hanging by a thread

Hugo Ekitike picked up a major injury in Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final second leg clash with Paris Saint-Germain. The club’s high-profile summer arrival — signed from Eintracht Frankfurt for €95 million — went down in the first half while sprinting, with no opposition contact involved.

After receiving extended treatment, he was stretchered off, with early reports pointing toward a possible Achilles tendon rupture.

“I think it’s a very serious injury,” teammate Ibrahima Konate said after the match. “I don’t want to talk too much about it, with everything that’s going on this summer, including the World Cup. But it’s very, very tough for him right now. I’m praying for him!”

Manager Arne Slot later acknowledged that the situation looks “really bad,” although he stopped short of confirming a diagnosis. The striker is set to undergo further medical examinations on Wednesday.

“Losing a player is something we’ve experienced many times this season,” Slot noted, adding that it is “particularly difficult” for Ekitike at this crucial stage of the campaign.

The incident occurred in the 28th minute when Ekitike chased a forward pass from Dominik Szoboszlai. As he stretched to reach the ball, he appeared to lose footing slightly before collapsing to the ground. He immediately grabbed his heel and shook his head in frustration while receiving treatment.

During the stoppage, PSG players Achraf Hakimi and Willian Pacho showed support, staying by his side and holding his hands as medical staff worked.

Ekitike was substituted by Mohamed Salah around the half-hour mark, and the early outlook suggests a long recovery period ahead — one that could see him miss the remainder of Liverpool’s season, as well as France’s upcoming World Cup campaign.