Hugo Ekitike 'faces nine months out' as Liverpool star's World Cup dream dashed

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Hugo Ekitike could face a nine month lay-off following the injury he sustained against Paris Saint-Germain , with a medical expert saying there is "a 90 per cent chance" the Liverpool striker has ruptured his Achilles tendon.

The 23-year-old went down unchallenged after appearing to slip on the greasy surface at Anfield during the Reds' Champions League quarter-final second leg against PSG , which the reigning French and European champions won 4-0 on aggregate .

Ekitike was unable to get back to his feet despite attempting to do so with the aid of PSG defender Marquinhos and was eventually stretchered off by medical personnel.

Fears that the France striker is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines are growing in what would be a major blow for both club and player, with Ekitike now highly likely to miss the World Cup.

In an interview with French outlet L'Equipe , Dr. Nicolas Baudrier has been speaking about the injury Ekitike suffered. And based on images of the issue, he believes Ekitike has ruptured his Achilles and that his chances of going to the World Cup with France "are over".

"If it's indeed what we suspect, namely an Achilles tendon injury, it doesn't happen during contact with an opponent. It's either a change of direction or during a jump," he explained.

"The player describes it as a 'bolt from the blue,' as if he were being tackled. We saw it with Ekitike, who looked behind him to see if he'd been hit. He felt like he'd been tackled, but there was no one behind him. This really points to an Achilles tendon injury."

He continued: "Partial ruptures are practically unheard of. When there's a rupture, it's complete. Judging by the images, it can't be much else. He got up twice, but he couldn't walk. I objectively think he has a ruptured Achilles tendon.

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"Based on the images, I'd say there's a 90% chance it's a ruptured Achilles tendon.

"He'll need surgery. In the best-case scenario for a professional player, surgery means nine months to get back on the field. If it is indeed a ruptured Achilles tendon, then the World Cup is over for him."

Arne Slot admitted after Tuesday night's game that the prognosis on Ekitike's injury was bleak, telling Amazon Prime: "[It's] not too good, we could all see that he didn't look well and didn't look right. We can all see it didn't look good. In the second-half he went home and I didn't see him.

"Again as it seems, losing a player is something we've had a lot this season. It's very hard for him because you never want to be injured at this time of the season."