Paris Saint-Germain left their 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona with the points, the noise of a major European night and a deeply damaged squad. Wednesday’s medical update confirmed that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, while Ousmane Dembélé and captain Marquinhos will also be unavailable for the coming weeks.
Kvaratskhelia was forced off alongside Marquinhos during the win over Barcelona after twisting his right knee. The Georgian winger, 25, needed support from staff as he left the pitch, immediately raising fears around the severity of the injury. PSG have now confirmed that he will undergo surgery in the next few days.
It is a brutal interruption for a player who was central to Paris’s European run in 2025-26. Kvaratskhelia was named Champions League Player of the Season after contributing 19 goals and 11 assists across 48 appearances in all competitions. His start to the current campaign had been quieter, with two goals and one assist, but the knee injury is likely to keep him out for several months and could place the rest of his 2026-27 season in doubt.
Three key absences after Barcelona win
Dembélé’s evening ended less than 20 minutes into the match, the France forward departing with a muscular complaint. PSG said the issue concerns his left thigh and that he will remain under treatment in the weeks ahead, without putting a date on his return.
Marquinhos has suffered a similar setback on the opposite side of the body. The Brazilian defender, who captains PSG, has a problem in the upper part of his right thigh and will also spend the next several weeks in recovery. No timetable has been given for either Marquinhos or Dembélé.
The result against Barcelona strengthened PSG’s Champions League campaign on the third matchday, but it has come at a sharp cost. With Kvaratskhelia facing surgery and two senior figures sidelined by muscle injuries, the French champions will have to manage the next stretch of their domestic and European schedule without three of their most important names.
