Liverpool have confirmed that striker Hugo Ekitike has sustained a “serious” Achilles injury and will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup.

The forward had to be substituted during the first half of Tuesday’s Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain at Anfield after a slip on the turf.

Scans on the injury confirmed a rupture of the Achilles tendon.

Liverpool said: “Ekitike will therefore be sidelined for the remaining weeks of the club season and unable to participate at this summer’s World Cup with France.”

The timeframe on Ekitike getting back to his best is significantly longer than 7-9 months. In the worst case scenario, Ekitike would not return for Liverpool until midway through the 2026-27 season but then only be at full speed come the start of 2028-29, a bitter blow given how much of a talisman he has been for the Reds this season.