Drama at Liverpool FC: Hugo Ekitike suffers a horror injury

Ekitike

Hugo Ekitike suffered a serious injury during Liverpool FC’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

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The Reds’ star new signing, who moved to Anfield from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer for €95 million, suffered an injury while sprinting in the first half without any contact from an opponent and had to be carried off the pitch after a lengthy spell of treatment. There are strong indications that he has torn his Achilles tendon.

“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 happening this summer, including the World Cup. But it’s very, very tough for him right now. I’m praying for him!”

In the 28th minute, Ekitike attempted to latch onto a ball sent forward by Dominik Szoboszlai, took a stride, slipped slightly and collapsed to the turf. He immediately grasped his heel and shook his head repeatedly while receiving treatment. 

As medical staff rushed on, opposing players Achraf Hakimi and Willian Pacho offered words of support, holding his hands throughout the treatment.

Mohamed Salah replaced him after half an hour, and the forward is now likely to miss a significant portion of Liverpool’s season as well as France’s World Cup campaign. 

Could Salah, a proven super sub, net the winner in his last ever Champions League outing?

For Salah, this may have been his final Champions League appearance, as the Reds failed to overturn their 2-0 first-leg deficit, eventually losing 2-0 at Anfield. Both goals for the visitors from Paris were scored by reigning World Player of the Year Ousmane Dembélé (73’, 90+1’).

This will be his final season at Liverpool: the club and the player have already confirmed they will not extend his expiring contract, and he could move to Saudi Arabia after the World Cup.

Tensions flared before Christmas when Salah publicly complained about his diminishing role and openly criticised both club and manager Arne Slot; he was subsequently dropped for one match.

While Ekitike has netted 23 goals in 44 appearances during his debut campaign, Salah remains well below the lofty standards he set last term, when Liverpool unexpectedly reclaimed the league title. The Egyptian currently has 11 goals and nine assists to his name across all competitions.

Against PSG, however, the 33-year-old was determined to prove himself, delivering four key passes (xAssist 0.52) and firing one shot on target (0.12 xG). The 64th minute brought high drama: Alexis Mac Allister initially won a penalty for the Reds while the score was still level, only for VAR to overturn the decision.