Hugo Ekitike suffers ruptured Achilles ruled out of FIFA World Cup: reports

France forward Hugo Ekitike suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during Liverpool's Champions League clash against Paris St Germain on Tuesday and will miss the World Cup, according to international media reports on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old pointed to his Achilles tendon as medical staff attended to him before he was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield, where Liverpool lost 2-0 in their quarter-final second leg, exiting the competition with a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

The French football federation (FFF) was not immediately available for comment.

Ekitike has 17 goals in all competitions this season since Liverpool signed him from Eintracht Frankfurt for 69 million pounds ($93.58 million) in July.

Liverpool's manager, Arne Slot, said earlier that it is too early to give a clear diagnosis but conceded the situation did not look positive.

"Hugo looks really bad but it is difficult to say how bad," Slot said after the game.

"Let's see. It doesn't look good, that is clear. I didn't see him at half-time and after the game he was already home. I have not spoken to him yet."

Ekitike started alongside Alexander Isak in attack, with the latter making his return to the starting XI for the first time since early December after recovering from a broken leg.

Slot lamented that his three major attacking signings from last summer have rarely been able to play together, though he welcomed Isak’s return.

The World Cup is being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11-July 19.