'I suffered the same injury as Hugo Ekitike- here's exactly what he's in for'

Hugo Ekitike is expected to miss a year's worth of football after suffering an Achilles tear in Tuesday's defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, and our colleague Rudi Kinsella knows what he's dealing with

Ekitike clearly knew how bad the injury was straight away(Image: 2026 Alex Livesey - Danehouse)

Tuesday night's Champions League action saw Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike suffer an Achilles tear during a quarter-final defeat to PSG.

While it was a tough night for Liverpool as a whole, it was even worse for Ekitike on a personal level, as an Achilles tear is often seen as one of the worst injuries a player can suffer.

Many online were quick to speculate about his World Cup chances, as he was expected to play a part in France's attempt to win the coveted trophy this summer. However, he can kiss those dreams goodbye - if he's like me, he'll be unable to walk when the World Cup starts. I also suffered the tear while playing soccer - albeit at a vastly different level - at the beginning of January.

Over three months later, I have just begun walking again out of a protective boot. For 8 weeks, I couldn't put any weight on the injured leg at all, relying on crutches to get around.

Then, I could hobble around in the protective boot, and as a result, I could resume normal life to an extent. I could see friends, go for (slow) walks and cook my own meals. But I only recently got the all-clear to remove the boot and walk in normal shoes, and the difference in my balance and strength is jarring.

The injured leg looks unrecognizable. There's something really depressing about staring at your own body and it looking different to how it did before. But I'm assured the strength will return if I follow quite a strict and arduous rehab program.

The restricted boot really impacts day-to-day life, and it will for Hugo Ekitike too(Image: Rudi Kinsella)

The impact on Rudi Kinsella's leg is clear to see after his Achilles tear

I essentially need to relearn how to walk. My first bits of physio work are wiggling my toes - that's how severe this injury is. You really have to start from scratch again. But once you accept what's ahead of you, it all becomes much more doable.

In fact, the first 48 hours after the injury were the worst. The pain of the tear itself was fine. But it was the mental battle that I struggled with.

Playing soccer was my favorite thing to do, and with my 30s on the horizon, an injury like this probably meant retirement. Not to mention being unable to drive a car or live an active life for weeks on end.

Ekitike is extremely unlikely to have to worry about retirement as a result of this injury, but he will have other concerns that I didn't have.

Soccer is a ruthless sport. At the rate France produces attacking talent, this may have been his best chance at playing at a World Cup, and maybe winning one too. Will he be the same player when he comes back? Maybe, but maybe not.

Will Liverpool have no choice but to sign another attacker, pushing him behind a new signing and Aleksander Isak in the pecking order?

He will need to be mentally strong, and accept that this is a setback, but not the end of the world. He will return to soccer at 24, still years away from his prime, and he will likely learn a lot about himself while out injured. I certainly have.