Liverpool have confirmed striker Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious ruptured Achilles and will miss the rest of the club season and France’s World Cup.
The 23-year-old was withdrawn in the first half of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield after slipping on the turf. Scans showed an Achilles tendon rupture. Club medical staff say he will be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the season; initial projections suggest a layoff of at least six months, with a worst-case estimate around nine months pending further assessment.
A club statement on Thursday said Ekitike “will therefore be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and unable to participate at this summer’s World Cup with France.” France manager Didier Deschamps described the injury as “a huge blow” for both the player and the national team, paid tribute to Ekitike’s integration into Les Bleus and expressed confidence he will recover to top form.
Ekitike signed for Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer for £79m and has scored 19 goals for club and country this season. His absence comes just as Alexander Isak returned from a serious leg injury; Isak made his first start since fracturing his ankle in December in Tuesday’s game.
Manager Arne Slot said injuries have frequently disrupted the squad this season and noted the planned forward partnership of summer signings Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ekitike has rarely had a chance to develop. Slot added he would be surprised if the trio log many more minutes together this campaign.
Liverpool’s injury list this season has included first-choice goalkeeper Alisson (hamstring), Conor Bradley (knee surgery), Giovanni Leoni (ACL), and lengthy spells out for Jeremie Frimpong, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez, stretching the squad’s depth.
Ekitike’s absence is significant as Liverpool pursue a top-four finish. The club sit fifth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and four points clear of Chelsea. Remaining fixtures include:
– April 19: Everton (A), 2pm
– April 25: Crystal Palace (H), 3pm
– May 3: Manchester United (A), 3.30pm
– May 9: Chelsea (H), 12.30pm
– May 17: Aston Villa (A), kick-off TBD
– May 24: Brentford (H), 4pm
Ekitike will undergo further assessment to establish a precise recovery timetable, but he will not participate in the rest of Liverpool’s season and will miss the World Cup with France.