Hugo Ekitike World Cup injury has been a big blow to both France and Liverpool as the striker has been excluded in the upcoming FIFA world cup because of a severe Achilles tendon rupture. The accident happened in Liverpool 2-0 Champions League loss to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield on Tuesday evening. The game was already high-stakes, but became alarming as Hugo Ekitike fell in evident distress in the first half. The forward was unable to carry on and medical personnel rushed on the pitch.
He was carried away in tears, early diagnosis confirmed a ruptured Achilles tendon, which is one of the worst injuries a footballer can sustain. Didier Deschamps, the manager of France national team, later confirmed that Ekitike will not participate in the whole world cup. He also pointed out that the striker will be out of the rest of the season and so it is a long term recovery process. The loss of Ekitike is a big blow to France who were already planning on a very competitive tournament.
The 23-year-old had just proven himself a valuable attacking threat and was regarded as the future generation of French forwards. Ekitike has had a breakout season since joining Liverpool in July after playing in Eintracht Frankfurt. He was the best scorer of the club with 17 goals in all the competitions, 11 in the premier leagues. His physique had propelled him to become one of the best young attackers in European football.
This not only impacts the attacking depth of Liverpool, but also makes France reassess their squad imbalance before the world cup. Achilles rupture is a long and difficult process to heal and Ekitike will now be fully dedicated to the healing process before he can set his eyes on a comeback next season.
