Hugo Ekitike hands Liverpool huge injury blow as striker taken off on stretcher vs PSG

Liverpool suffered a major blow during the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain with Hugo Ekitike sustaining a bad injury

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike had to be stretchered off during the first half of their match with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

The France international, 23, went down with nobody around him just before the half hour mark with what looked like a serious injury. Any significant spell on the sidelines would come as a major blow to both Liverpool and Ekitike, who is likely to feature at the World Cup for his country if fit.

Alan Shearer, commentating on the game for Amazon Prime, said: "Ekitike went to control the ball and he sort of slipped over. He looks to be in pain.

"They are saying he has to come off. It doesn't look good at all."

Stephen Warnock felt that the striker appeared to be pointing to his Achilles after going down. "There was nobody around Hugo Ekitike and he has damaged his ankle. He is pointing towards his Achilles which is a real concern," the former Liverpool defender told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He got back up, and he just collapsed to the floor. Marquinhos had hold of his hand, and he is in agony."

Alexander Isak, Liverpool's other big-money striker signing, has been sidelined since December after fracturing his leg and only returned in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against PSG, which was played last week.

Ekitike was replaced by Mohamed Salah, who could be making his final Liverpool appearance in Europe as he prepares to leave the club this summer.

Arne Slot's team headed into the game at Anfield needing to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg, which PSG were unfortunate not to win more handsomely. The Reds are out of both domestic cups and have no chance of retaining their Premier League title, meaning defeat over two legs would end their final chance of clinching silverware this season.

Ekitike, who joined Liverpool in the summer from Eintracht Frankfurt, spent time on PSG's books earlier in his career, scoring four goals in 33 appearances for the French giants.