PSG picked up a huge result, but it may have come at a heavy price. The reigning Champions League winners beat Barcelona 4-2 at the Parc des Princes to stay perfect in the competition, yet three of their key players left the pitch with injuries. The most serious blow is Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s, who will miss a long stretch of the season.
The club confirmed that Kvaratskhelia suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He went down early in the second half after a challenge with Barcelona’s Xavi Espart and could not put any weight on his leg as he was helped off.
PSG confirmed he will undergo surgery in the coming days and did not give a timetable for his return. The 25-year-old was making his first start of the season in the Champions League and has played 11 times for the club this campaign.
Kvaratskhelia reacted to the news on social media. “Why me? I was not ready for this,” he wrote, before promising to come back stronger for the fans who support him.
Despite losing one of their stars for the rest of the season, the night still ended in celebration for PSG. The game was level at 2-2 heading into the final 10 minutes, and the hosts scored twice late to keep their Champions League defense on track with three wins from three.
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Dembele, Marquinhos and Mendes join the injury list
Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos were also forced off against Barcelona. PSG announced that Dembele has a left thigh injury and Marquinhos a right thigh injury, and both “will remain under treatment for the next few weeks”.
While the club did not specify exact return dates for either player, neither is expected to be available for the next Ligue 1 match on Oct. 25, when PSG face Lyon.
The list of absentees was already growing before the match. Nuno Mendes suffered a left thigh injury against Strasbourg on Oct. 17 and was ruled out for the next few weeks, which means he will not be available for the trip to Lyon either.
With Mendes, Dembele and Marquinhos all sidelined alongside Kvaratskhelia, PSG will have to rotate heavily across defense and attack in the coming fixtures.
