Liverpool have confirmed that forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the rest of the season and the 2026 World Cup after sustaining a serious injury during their Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Gatekeepers News reports that the 23-year-old was forced off in the first half of Liverpool’s 2-0 quarter-final second-leg loss at Anfield on Tuesday after collapsing while clutching his lower right leg.
In a statement released on Thursday, Liverpool said scans revealed a “rupture of the Achilles tendon”.
The club added: “Ekitike will therefore be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and unable to participate at this summer’s World Cup with France.”
No specific timeline was given for his recovery, with the club noting that “further updates will be provided at the appropriate time, with Hugo receiving the full support of everyone at LFC”.
The announcement followed confirmation from France head coach Didier Deschamps a day earlier that the striker would miss the World Cup.
“Unfortunately, the severity of (Ekitike’s) injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” Deschamps said in a statement released by the French football federation.
“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team. I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”
Ekitike has scored 17 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions since joining Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer in a deal worth £79 million.
Since earning his first senior cap for France in a World Cup qualifier in September, he has become a regular in the squad, registering two goals and one assist in eight appearances.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot had initially expressed concern after the match, saying: “It looks really bad, but difficult for me to say how bad.”
The injury adds to what has been a challenging campaign for Liverpool, who are currently fifth in the Premier League and set to finish the season without silverware.
“Losing a player is something we have had many times this season, but it is especially hard for him because you never want to be injured, especially at this time of the season,” Slot added.
