Hugo Ekitike Expected to Miss World Cup and Start of 2026-27 Season

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - APRIL 14: Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool suffers from an achilles tendon injury during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Liverpool and France striker Hugo Ekitike appeared to suffer a serious off the ball injury on Tuesday night when the 23-year-old crumpled off the ball and away from any opponents and had to be stretchered off the pitch in the second leg of the Reds’ Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

Today, there appears to be confirmation from the player’s camp that he suffered a torn or ruptured Achilles, an injury that would be expected to sideline the young attacker for nine to 12 months. It’s a timeline that means it’s possible Ekitike won’t play football again in 2026 and that rules him out from representing France at the World Cup this summer.

According to ESPN, a source close to the player said that Ekitike heard a distinct snap, and the reaction of both Ekitike’s Liverpool teammates and also the PSG players at the time had most believing he had suffered a serious Achilles injury.

Scans and examinations to determine the full severity of the issue are ongoing today and details of the injury will likely emerge in the coming days, but it is difficult to imagine an outcome that doesn’t see Ekitike sidelined until 2027 in what will be a massive blow to Liverpool and an even bigger one for the player himself.