Liverpool forward faces months on the sidelines after horror injury in Champions League clash against PSG
Liverpool have been dealt a major blow after confirming that forward Hugo Ekitike has suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon — an injury that will end his season prematurely and, more devastatingly, rule him out of this summer’s World Cup with France.
The 23-year-old had to be substituted during the first half of Tuesday’s Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield after a slip on the turf, with subsequent scans confirming the rupture. 
The timing could hardly be worse for the young Frenchman, who had been enjoying a breakthrough campaign at club level.
A ruptured Achilles is one of football’s most feared injuries, typically requiring six to nine months of rehabilitation — meaning Ekitike faces a long and gruelling road back to fitness.
He will be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and will be unable to participate at this summer’s World Cup with France.  Missing a World Cup at the peak of his powers is a bitter pill to swallow for a player who had been firmly on the international radar.
There is also a poignant added dimension to the fixture in which he was injured. Ekitike suffered the blow against his former club PSG — the side where he first made his name in Ligue 1 before making his move to Merseyside — making the evening all the more painful.
Liverpool FC confirmed that Ekitike will receive the full support of everyone at the club, with further updates to be provided at the appropriate time. 
For Liverpool, the injury is a significant setback in the business end of a season in which they remain in contention on multiple fronts. The club will now be forced to manage their attacking resources carefully as they push for honours in the final weeks of the campaign.
All eyes will be on Ekitike’s recovery as one of European football’s brightest young talents faces the toughest test of his career — not on the pitch, but in the treatment room.
