Liverpool manager Arne Slot has been dealt ‘more bad news’ at Anfield following an injury update.
Liverpool bow out to PSG in Champions League quarter-finals
Liverpool’s Champions League run came to a firm end on Tuesday night after a 2-0 loss to PSG at Anfield, sealing a 4-0 aggregate defeat.
The home side saw plenty of the ball across both legs but were unable to turn that control into goals, and were ultimately punished by a clinical visiting attack.
The match itself followed a similar pattern to the first leg.
Liverpool pushed forward for long periods, looking to find a way back into the tie, but clear-cut chances were limited. When openings did arrive, they were not taken.
That left the door open for PSG to take control late on, which they did with two second-half goals that settled the contest.
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Ousmane Dembélé was the key star on the night, scoring twice to remove any remaining doubt about the outcome.
His movement and finishing proved decisive, particularly as Liverpool committed more players forward in search of a breakthrough.
At the other end, PSG remained organised and restricted space in the final third, stifling Slot’s Reds and giving themselves a major chance to win their second successive Champions League title.
Despite the result, the bigger concern for Liverpool emerged much earlier in the game.
Forward Hugo Ekitiké was forced off in the first half after going down without contact. The nature of the incident immediately raised concerns among staff, and he was unable to continue.
Those concerns have now transformed into catastrophe.
Liverpool star Hugo Ekitiké out for nine months after achilles tendon rupture
According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook and other sources, the striker is expected to be out for an extended period, with estimates suggesting a recovery time of up to nine months.
The injury is understood to involve his Achilles tendon, which typically requires an extremely long rehabilitation process and now puts Ekitike’s World Cup dreams to bed.
For Liverpool, that is where the real impact is felt.
Ekitike had become a regular option in attack, offering quality and a consistent presence across all competitions which was vital to Slot.
His absence removes one of the few reliable rotation options in the forward line at a critical stage of the campaign.
With the schedule tightening and Europe still to be decided, it is a significant setback, with the Frenchman arguably standing out as Liverpool’s best signing of a marquee summer window last year.
Liverpool now face the vital run-in without one of their key attacking options, and one who’s bagged 17 goals in all competitions this campaign.
The margin for error becomes smaller, and the pressure on those available has just dramatically increased.
The defeat to PSG ends their European push, but the injury to Ekitike creates a longer-term problem — and one that could shape how their season finishes.
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