Hugo Ekitike took a moment to send a message to the French fans who offered their support after the star was announced to miss a considerable time with a torn Achilles injury
23:33, 04 Jun 2026Updated 03:53, 05 Jun 2026
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England
Hugo Ekitike shared a message from French fans as he recovers from an Achilles injury(Image: Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Hugo Ekitike took a moment to thank the fans for their support as he continues to rehab from his Achilles injury.
In the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarterfinal match against Paris Saint-Germain, the star went down with a non-contact injury and had to be stretchered off the pitch. It was soon confirmed that Ekitike would miss the rest of the season and the World Cup due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Since then, Ekitike has been rehabbing from the injury, which typically takes around a full year to recover from, depending on its severity. With the star set to miss the World Cup, France will be without a strong presence at the tournament, which begins in less than a week.
On his personal Instagram story, the young star reposted a screenshot from 22 minutes into France's match against the Ivory Coast on Thursday. In the photo, the French fans were spotted holding a large banner with the words "Courage Hugo" written on it.
In response, Ekitike shared a message to the fans. "Thank you so much for the support," the 23-year-old wrote in French with the photo in the background before adding a message of support to his fellow stars competing in the World Cup. "Go Blues! I'm behind you!"
His message months after he broke his silence on his devastating injury. "It’s hard, maybe even unfair… but I’m grateful this is happening to me here, among you," he wrote on Instagram.
Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool on the pitch before the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Quarter-Final Second Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC at Anfield on April 14, 2026 in Liverpool, England
Ekitike will be out for a considerable amount of time as he recovers from an Achilles injury(Image: Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
"I’m not alone. Your strength and your love will be my driving force. See you again soon, Anfield."
Perhaps what could help Ekitike return to action quicker is the fact that his Achilles surgery was supervised by the same surgeon who operated on Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the 2025 NBA Playoffs and returned to action in less than a year.
Despite the injury knocking him out for a considerable period, it is reported that Liverpool will not sign anyone to replace him, seemingly making do with what the club has until the star returns to action.
Facing perhaps the biggest challenge of his career thus far, French legend Thierry Henry lauded the 23-year-old's mental fortitude as he continues to rehabilitate from his devastating injury.
"I was watching the game and straight away you knew it was bad," Henry told Betway. "I felt sorry for him obviously, and as an ex-player, you think about the World Cup and everything else.
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"He had an outstanding season. He comes to Liverpool, where people thought he was going to sit out for Alexander Isak, but no, he answered the call and did pretty well for his first season.
"It’s not only about the World Cup; it’s what he had to go through at a young age, to come back and reposition himself, and now he’s going to have to do it again.
"He came to the ‘top of the mountain’ and now he’s fallen again, for different reasons. It must be very difficult for him mentally, but he had the belief to do it once and I’m sure he can do it again."