Hugo Ekitike injury looks ‘really bad’ in potential blow for Liverpool and France

In a tense UEFA Champions League quarterfinal second-leg fixture at Anfield on Tuesday, a 2-0 defeat for Liverpool that secured a 4-0 aggregate win for Paris Saint-Germain was overshadowed by a worrying first-half injury to French striker Hugo Ekitike. The incident occurred in the 27th minute, when Ekitike slipped awkwardly on the Anfield pitch, appearing to sustain damage to his right leg that required immediate medical attention on the field. After quick evaluation by club medical staff, it was determined the forward could not continue the match, and he was stretchered off the pitch to be replaced by veteran Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah. Speaking post-match following Liverpool’s elimination from the competition, Reds head coach Arne Slot offered a grim early assessment of Ekitike’s condition. “It doesn’t look good,” Slot told reporters. “It looks really bad, but it’s difficult for me to say how bad. Tomorrow we will investigate further.” The injury carries major ramifications beyond Liverpool’s domestic and European campaign. Ekitike has emerged as one of the Merseyside club’s most impactful performers this season, netting 19 goals across all club and international competitions. Most recently, he scored the decisive goal for France in a high-profile 2-1 friendly win over Brazil just one month ago. With the men’s FIFA World Cup set to kick off later this year, Ekitike was widely expected to be a key starting attacker for the defending champions, making his fitness a major point of concern for French national team staff. For Liverpool, the potential long-term absence of Ekitike also complicates the club’s ongoing push to secure a top-four finish in the English Premier League, which would grant them qualification to next season’s Champions League. The fixture was not without other injury concerns for both sides. PSG left-back Nuno Mendes was forced to withdraw shortly before halftime with an unspecified health issue, though he was able to walk off the pitch unassisted. Young PSG attacker Desire Doue became the third player to exit early, leaving the match with a leg injury early in the second half.