What happened to the last Liverpool player to suffer an Achilles rupture after Hugo Ekitike incident vs PSG
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Hugo Ekitike suffered a nasty-looking injury during Liverpool’s latest 2-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday.The Frenchman was stretchered off in the first half, and Arne Slot’s Ekitike update post-match was not positive.The exact nature of the injury is yet to be confirmed, but according to L’Equipe, Dr. Nicolas Baudrier, a specialist in tendon and ligament surgery of the ankle, suspects the striker has injured his Achilles tendon, becoming the first Liverpool player to do so since Fabio Aurelio back in 2007.
Who was Liverpool’s most disappointing player against PSG on Tuesday? We needed so much more… Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images Much like Ekitike, Aurelio ruptured his Achilles tendon in a Champions League quarter-final meeting, being brought off after 67 minutes in a 3-0 win over PSV on April 3, 2007.NHS Fife guidance says that for contact sport, a timescale for recovery is ‘approximately 12 months post injury/surgery’.However, that is only guidance, and Aurelio was actually able to recover much quicker back in 2007.After suffering his injury, the Brazilian returned to the field for Liverpool on September 25, 2007, playing 69 minutes of a third-round League Cup win over Reading.That is somewhat good news for Ekitike, as history suggests he won’t be out for the suggested 12-month timeline.However, what it does mean is that the Liverpool striker, if he has indeed ruptured his Achilles, will almost certainly miss the 2026 World Cup with France, and just like Alexander Isak this term, will not be able to take part in pre-season.Liverpool or Slot are expected to provide an update on the centre-forward at some point this week before the meeting with Everton on Sunday.In terms of replacements, Isak, who could only manage 45 minutes against PSG, or Cody Gakpo will likely lead the line against the Toffees at the weekend.Whether Liverpool then look to add a new striker to their squad in the summer on the back of Ekitike’s injury remains to be seen.Join Our NewsletterReceive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox