Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona has been overshadowed by a severe blow for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose promising evening ended with the Georgian forward unable to put weight on his right leg.
PSG confirm cruciate ligament rupture
Kvaratskhelia had made an energetic start against Barcelona on Tuesday, striking the post inside two minutes, before suffering the injury in the 59th minute. His right knee twisted during an apparently routine phase of play and, after spending time on the ground, he was helped from the pitch without being able to bear weight on the leg.
On Wednesday, the two-time reigning Champions League winners confirmed that the 25-year-old had torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
- Kvaratskhelia will undergo surgery in the coming days.
- PSG have not set a return date for the Georgia international.
- Ousmane Dembélé and Marquinhos also came off injured against Barcelona and will continue treatment over the next few weeks.
- Kvaratskhelia, however, faces an absence measured in months rather than weeks.
“Khvicha Kvaratskhelia suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during yesterday’s match against FC Barcelona and will undergo surgery in the coming days,” PSG said in their medical update.
A long recovery now awaits
Recovery from an ACL reconstruction generally ranges from six to 10 months for an athlete, although the path back can vary significantly according to the injury and rehabilitation process.
Recent cases across European football underline the uncertainty around such a timetable:
- Matthieu Udol, who has sustained four right-knee ACL ruptures, spent nine months out after his first injury in July 2016, returning in April 2017.
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic beat many projections after tearing the ACL in his right knee in April 2017. He returned for Manchester United in November, seven months later, having initially been expected back no earlier than December and possibly in early 2018.
- Neymar did not play a competitive match for a year after damaging his left ACL and meniscus in October 2023, returning on 21 October 2024.
- Rodri tore the ACL in his right knee in September 2024. He collected the 2024 Ballon d’Or on crutches the following month, resumed training in April 2025 and returned to matches in May 2025.
- Gabriel Jesus was sidelined for almost 11 months following a left-knee ACL injury suffered in January 2025, before returning in December that year.
- Rodrygo, who tore the ACL in his right knee in early March 2026, has resumed training but has yet to play again. Real Madrid are targeting December 2026 or January 2027 for his comeback.
Paris must plan without a key attacker
The injury deprives PSG of a forward who had begun the Barcelona match sharply and had already come close to opening the scoring. The club will now await the operation and the first stages of Kvaratskhelia’s rehabilitation before establishing a clearer forecast for his return.
For the French champions, the immediate priority is managing the absences of Kvaratskhelia, Dembélé and Marquinhos after a night in which a major European victory came at a considerable physical cost.
