Paris Saint-Germain's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia â will undergo surgery after rupturing the anterior cruciate â ligament in â his ​right knee in the Champions League win over â Barcelona.
Kvaratskhelia twisted â the knee during PSG's 4-2 ​victory on ‌Tuesday and was ‌helped off the pitch just ‌before the hour, with the Georgian unable to put any weight on his right leg.
The winger landed awkwardly after sprinting back to make a tackle on Xavi Espart and looked in severe pain as he clutched his right knee. He played a leading role in helping PSG to back-to-back Champions League titles and is one of the contenders for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on Monday.
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“Before ‌every game I asked God ‌to let me leave the pitch healthy,†Kvaratskhelia wrote ‌on Instagram. “But it was in vain. Not much time has passed, yet one thought keeps circling in my head: why me? I never held anything back. I think I prepared for this game better than I ever had before. I thought I was ready for everything – but not for this. I know I have to come back stronger for my people, who are ‌always by my side. I won't let you down – I promise I won't waste a single moment.â€
ACL injuries typically require a recovery period of ​at least six months.
Ousmane Dembélé had earlier been forced off with a thigh injury and the defender Marquinhos was substituted with a similar injury. PSG â said both players would have treatment ​for the next ​few weeks.
The PSG head coach, Luis Enrique, used Dembélé sparingly in the French league last season and has rested him twice in Ligue 1 this campaign. The France forward, who scored six goals at the World Cup, struggled with injuries last season and had been beset by leg muscle injuries at his previous club, Barcelona.
In the 2024-25 Dembélé played 50 games in a season for the first time in his career and his performances earned him the men's Ballon d'Or.
Barcelona have made a complaint to Uefa over a “chainsaw massacre†banner displayed on Tuesday. The banner carried the slogan “Massacre, Parisien style†and depicted a masked man in a PSG shirt cutting through a Barcelona crest with a chainsaw, with pyrotechnics giving the effect of sparks flying as the saw made contact.
Sources close to the Catalan club said the content of the banner, and some offensive chants from the stands, were reported to Uefa's match delegate.
