Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike is set to be sidelined for up to nine months after the extent of the injury he sustained in the Champions League defeat against PSG emerged
Hugo Ekitike is set to be sidelined for nine months after the extent of the injury he sustained against PSG was confirmed.
The 23-year-old was stretchered off during Liverpool’s second-leg defeat against the European champions at Anfield. The Reds were beaten 2-0 on the night to exit the competition 4-0 on aggregate.
And that mood has been worsened following the news that Ekitike will miss the rest of the calendar year and potentially the start of next year after rupturing his right Achilles tendon.
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It’s reported by L’Equipe that the Frenchman will miss the World Cup and a nine month lay-off before returning to training is the best case scenario.
Ekitike collapsed to the ground in a non-contact injury, clutching his right ankle in severe pain. There was concern among both sets of players for the striker, who was later taken from the field of play on a stretcher.
Slot commented on Ekitike’s injury after the full-time whistle before the worst case scenario diagnosis was given. “I think we could all see that it didn’t look well and didn’t look good.
“Let’s wait and see what it will be. But we could all see it didn’t look good.“
“As it seems to be, 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.”
Speaking about the game, Slot added: “We got much more than we deserved last week by only losing 2-0, like last season. Also the same as last season today we got much less than we deserved. We should have won but it is from the quality of them why they don’t concede.
“If you look at our season I am completely not surprised because so many decisions have gone against us. For me it is quite simple, if the referee did not give a penalty the VAR would never have intervened.
“As I said I don’t think it is a surprise this season, not just the Champions League but also in the Premier League many decisions have gone against us. We couldn’t score a goal, we had many chances.”
Ekitike has scored 15 times for Liverpool this season as he led the line in the absence of Alexander Isak, who has only just returned to action after breaking his fibula in December. The two strikers cost Liverpool a combined £205million but have both sustained major injuries in their debut campaign.