Liverpool lost Hugo Ekitike to injury in their Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, with the striker having to be carried off on a stretcher.
Ibrahima Konate spoke about Hugo Ekitike after the Liverpool match (Image: Amazon Prime)
Ibrahima Konate believes Hugo Ekitike’s injury is serious after he left the Anfield pitch on a stretcher. Liverpool lost their striker 30 minutes into their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain.
Ekitike, 23, then stepped back from the ball and held the back of his right leg near the ankle. It soon became clear that he would not be able to continue with his summer contract and Mohamed Salah replaced his fellow forward.
However, Salah’s introduction could not lead the Reds to victory, and PGS won 2-0 and advanced to the semi-finals.
Post-match talk quickly turned to Ekitike, who is certain to miss the rest of the season. Konate spoke emotionally about his compatriot and did not seem overly optimistic, saying he was scheduled to undergo tests today to determine the severity of the problem.
read more: Hugo Ekitike inflicts serious injury on Liverpool as striker is carried away on a stretcher against PSGread more: Liverpool manager Arne Slott reveals cause for concern over Hugo Ekitike’s injury – ‘not very good’
The player told Amazon Prime: “I’m very sad for him and I hope he comes back. I don’t think it’s bad, but I don’t know, but I’ve heard a lot of things.”
“It’s a very difficult situation for him right now with the World Cup and a lot of things coming up this summer. I’m praying for him.”
Liverpool head coach Arne Slott offered a similarly pessimistic assessment. He said on Amazon Prime, “It wasn’t very good. Everyone could see that he didn’t look good and didn’t look right. Everyone could see that he didn’t look good. In the second half, he went home and I didn’t see him.”
Hugo Ekitike held the back of his right leg (Image: ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA/Shutterstock)
“Again, losing players seems to be a common thing this season. It’s very difficult for him because the last thing you want to do is get injured at this stage of the season.”
Slott added in a press conference: “It looks like Hugo is in a really bad condition, but it’s hard to say how bad it is. Well, obviously he’s not well. I didn’t see him at half-time and he had already gone home after the game. I haven’t talked to him yet.”
Former Liverpool player and pundit Stephen Warnock hinted that Ekitike had injured his ankle while commentating on the match, but some initial reports suggested he may have suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, a serious injury that could keep him out for months.
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He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “There was no one around Hugo Ekitike, but he has injured his ankle and it’s pointing towards his Achilles tendon and that’s a real concern.”
“He got up and just fell to the floor. Marquinhos was holding his hand and he was in pain.”
Alan Shearer shared a similar verdict when he was a co-commentator on Amazon Prime. “Ekitike went to control the ball and it looks like he slipped. He looks hurt. They’re saying we have to take him off, but it doesn’t look good at all.”
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