Hugo Ekitike injury return timeline as new update emerges on Liverpool striker | OneFootball

Alexander Isak must now step up as Reds dealt devastating blow

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike faces months on the sidelines after suffering a serious injury against Paris Saint-Germain, ruling him out of this summer’s World Cup.

The Reds forward started against his former club once more in Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final second-leg tie at Anfield, but was stretchered off after half an hour after going down off the ball in worrying scenes.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admitted after the 2-0 defeat that Ekitike’s issue looked “really bad” and he subsequently underwent scans on Wednesday.

It is understood those tests confirmed a serious Achilles injury - reported to be a ruptured tendon - that will keep him out for several months, with reports he could be missing for between eight and nine.

Such a timescale could see Ekitike unable to play again until early 2027, missing the rest of this season and the first half of the 2026/27 campaign.

He will also miss this summer’s World Cup finals in North America with France, one of the favourites for the tournament who are in Group I alongside Senegal, Iraq and Norway.

In the short-term, the absence of Ekitike is a major blow for a Liverpool side who are fighting to secure a top-five finish in the Premier League this term and qualify for next season’s Champions League.

After Saturday’s much-needed 2-0 home win over Fulham, Slot’s side currently occupy fifth spot with six games remaining and are four points in front of sixth-place Chelsea ahead of Sunday’s Merseyside derby trip to Everton.

Liverpool also host Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Brentford as well as travelling to Manchester United and Aston Villa, desperate to finish a difficult trophyless campaign on a high after the pressure only increased on under-fire boss Slot following a 4-0 aggregate defeat by holders PSG to exit the Champions League.

Ekitike’s injury will also put the onus on record signing Alexander Isak to find form quickly following his recent return from a broken leg, having also started but played only 45 minutes against PSG, while increasing Mohamed Salah’s importance during his final months on Merseyside ahead of a summer exit.

Ekitike joined Liverpool from German club Eintracht Frankfurt in a £79million transfer last summer and was enjoying a strong debut campaign in English football, having scored 17 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions.