"Huge blow..." - Manager sends message to Liverpool star who's set to miss World Cup | OneFootball

France national team manager Didier Deschamps has sent a heartfelt message of support to Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike after a serious injury ended his World Cup hopes.

Ekitike has suffered a suspected Achilles injury, which could likely put him out of action for the next nine months, with Deschamps admitting it’s a “huge blow” for both the player and his team.

The 23-year-old has shone since joining Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, scoring 17 goals in all competitions for the Reds.

Ekitike would probably have been in contention for the France squad at this summer’s World Cup, with Deschamps releasing a statement to express his sadness at the news and his support for the player.

Didier Deschamps on Hugo Ekitike missing the World Cup

“Hugo suffered a serious injury on Tuesday evening against PSG. The severity of his injury will unfortunately prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and participating in the World Cup,” the Les Bleus boss said in a statement, as quoted by BBC Sport.

“Hugo is one of the dozen young players who have made their debuts with the national team in recent months. He had perfectly integrated into the group, both on the pitch and off it. This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the France team.

“His disappointment is immense. Hugo will regain his top form, I’m convinced of it. But I wanted to express all my support to him, as well as that of the entire staff. We know he’ll be fully behind the France team, and we’re all thinking of him very strongly.”

Hugo Ekitike injury a blow for Liverpool and France

Liverpool really could have done without more bad news after such a disappointing season, with the Ekitike injury coming during the Reds’ Champions League exit this week.

Arne Slot’s side have also had other major injury concerns throughout the campaign, with Alexander Isak barely playing due to fitness issues, while Conor Bradley has also missed a lot of football in recent months.

France, meanwhile, have a lot of other world class attacking options in their squad, though Ekitike could undoubtedly have been another fine option at the World Cup.

The former PSG youngster offers something a bit different from the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, so surely would have had a role to play in Deschamps’ side this summer.

LFC have concerns beyond the summer, though, as the seriousness of Ekitike’s injury means he surely won’t be playing again until midway through next season.