Liverpool's Hugo Ekitiké: Suffers Achilles injury

Ekitike is expected to be confirmed with a ruptured Achilles tendon following scans Wednesday, ruling him out for the remainder of the season and the 2026 World Cup with France, according to Arthur Perrot of RMC Sport.

Analysis:

Ekitike went down in the first half of Wednesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg against PSG without any contact, collapsing to the ground after planting his foot, and the initial clinical examination in the dressing room left little room for optimism. The Frenchman is expected to be sidelined for about nine months and the blow could hardly be more devastating for the striker, who had been one of Liverpool's most important players this season with 15 goals and six assists across 43 appearances across all competitions, and who was firmly in contention for a spot in coach Didier Deschamps' World Cup squad. Alexander Isak is now expected to take on a larger role as Liverpool's main striker when back to full fitness, while Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola are the leading candidates to fill Ekitike's left wing spot for Les Bleus this summer.