Hugo Ekitike was stretchered off in an early blow to Liverpool’s bid to overturn their Champions League quarter-final tie with Paris Saint-Germain.
Ekitike went down off the ball holding his ankle after suffering a suspected Achilles injury and appeared in some agony.
Liverpool doctors were quick to signal to the bench that the Frenchman wouldn’t be able to continue and that he would require a stretcher to be taken off.
“Ekitike went to control the ball and he sort of slipped over. He looks to be in pain,” said Alan Shearer on Amazon Prime commentary.
“They are saying he has to come off. It doesn’t look good at all.”
The Frenchman was replaced by Mohamed Salah on the right flank, making what could be his fourth last Anfield appearance ever if the Reds fail to comeback from 2-0 down in the tie and progress in the Champions League.
Shearer added: “Salah will have been devastated that he didn’t start, but you always get a chance – and his is about to come.”
Ekitike spent two years at PSG and had a point to prove to Luis Enrique, who left the striker out of his Champions League squad in 2023/24.
Ekitike started alongside Alexander Isak against the Champions League holders, the first start the Swede had made for four months after recovering ankle surgery, but his evening was curtailed after just 30 minutes with Liverpool now fearing their other striker is set for an extended period on the sidelines.
The injury could have devastating implications for Ekitike that go beyond Liverpool, with the 23-year-old due to feature for France at this summer’s World Cup.
PSG were also dealt a first-half injury blow, with left-back Nuno Mendes limping off eight minutes after Ekitike’s replacement in place of Lucas Hernandez.
Enrique was then forced into another sub after the break after star winger Desire Doue, who scored in the first leg, collided with the advertising board under the challenge of Dominik Szoboszlai.
The 20-year-old briefly tried to continue after receiving treatment but was not moving freely and hobbled off for Bradley Barcola. Szoboszlai, who appeared to push Doue in the back before he went down, apologised as he left the field.
