Liverpool's already daunting Champions League mountain just got steeper. In a cruel twist during their quarter-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, forward Hugo Ekitike was stretchered off with a suspected Achilles injury, dealing a massive blow to the Reds' hopes of overturning a 2-0 aggregate deficit.

The Frenchman, starting alongside the returning Alexander Isak, went down off the ball in clear agony, holding his ankle. Medical staff immediately signaled for a stretcher, ending his night after just half an hour. The injury casts a shadow over what was meant to be a statement performance for Ekitike against his former club, PSG.

Mohamed Salah entered the fray as his replacement, with commentator Alan Shearer noting the Egyptian's opportunity: "Salah will have been devastated that he didn't start, but you always get a chance - and his is about to come." The substitution carries extra weight, as a failure to progress could make this one of Salah's final appearances at Anfield.

While Liverpool grappled with their attacking setback, PSG also faced defensive disruption. Left-back Nuno Mendes was forced off with an injury just eight minutes after Ekitike's departure, adding to a tense and physically demanding first half. With their comeback mission now even more challenging, Liverpool must dig deep, but the loss of Ekitike's dynamism is a significant hurdle to clear.