Ekitike suffers Achilles rupture
Liverpool confirmed forward Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles tendon, a season‑ending injury that also rules him out of France’s upcoming World Cup plans. (x.com) The club statement and social reports made the injury timeline explicit and removed him from immediate selection pools. (x.com)
Liverpool said on Thursday that Hugo Ekitike ruptured his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain and will miss the rest of the season. (liverpoolfc.com, thestar.com.my) The 23-year-old France forward went down in the first half of Liverpool’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg at Anfield on Tuesday, April 14, and left on a stretcher after 22 minutes. (espn.com, usatoday.com) France coach Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday, April 15, that the injury would also keep Ekitike out of the 2026 World Cup. Reuters and ESPN reported an expected recovery window of roughly nine to 12 months. (straitstimes.com, espn.com) An Achilles rupture is a tear of the tendon that connects the calf muscles to the heel, and it usually requires surgery followed by months of rehabilitation before a player can sprint and cut again. (apnews.com, espn.com) The timing hits both club and country. Liverpool are in the closing stretch of the Premier League season, and France lose a 23-year-old striker who had been pushing into their World Cup plans. (thestar.com.my, sports.yahoo.com) Ekitike had joined Liverpool in the summer of 2025 after a breakout season at Eintracht Frankfurt, where he scored 15 Bundesliga goals and added eight assists in 33 appearances. Liverpool describe him as a long-term signing on a contract agreed after his move from Germany. (liverpoolfc.com, transfermarkt.com) His path to Anfield ran through Stade de Reims, Paris Saint-Germain and Frankfurt, and the PSG match carried extra weight because it came against his former club. Liverpool manager Arne Slot said immediately after the game that the injury “doesn’t look good.” (liverpoolfc.com, skysports.com) Liverpool now move into the final weeks without one of their main attacking options, and Ekitike’s next season will be shaped first by surgery and rehabilitation rather than matches. (espn.com, thestar.com.my)
