Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Tuesday’s Champions League victory over Barcelona, which has effectively brought an end to his involvement for the remainder of the season.
The Ballon d’Or contender was in familiarly threatening form at the Parc des Princes, clanking the base of the post early on in a thrilling encounter between two of this season’s Champions League favorites. However, Kvaratskhelia’s night would conclude in agony inside an hour.
A tangle with Barça’s teenage fullback Xavi Espart saw the Georgian winger tumble to the turf. On his way down, Kvaratskhelia got his right studs caught in the grass, forcing a twist in the knee which has left him with one of the most severe injuries a soccer player can suffer.
PSG released a brief bulletin the day after the game confirming the tear and that their No. 7 would undergo surgery this week. The bad news did not end there.
When Will Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Return From ACL Injury?
ACL tears used to be career-enders. Major advancement in arthroscopy and refined surgical techniques have spared players that fate and Kvaratskhelia will be back on the pitch again. Just almost certainly not this season.
Players typically take a minimum of nine months to get back into any form of competitive action—which would put his recovery at some point in July 2027, months after the Champions League final. Yet, even at that point the Kvaratskhelia coming back to action will not be the same bundle of jinks and feints which bamboozled Barcelona.
Rodri, who came onto the pitch for Barça just as Kvaratskhelia was being helped onto the sidelines, serves as a recent counterpoint. The former Manchester City midfielder tore his ACL in September 2024 and didn’t make a tentative return until May. Yet, fitness issues would dog Rodri throughout the following campaign, prompting his manager at the time, Pep Guardiola, to warn: “I said to him, and he maybe struggled to understand, it’s not about six, seven, eight months out, then playing and being the Rodri of before.
“No. Do you know when Rodri will be good? At the World Cup with Spain. At the World Cup he will be the best Rodri.”
Rodri was dutifully crowned the best player at the tournament as Spain lifted the title, finally returning to something close to his peak almost two years after his ACL tear.
PSG Provide Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos Injury Updates
If only Luis Enrique’s sole concern had been Kvaratskhelia. The hobbling forward was joined in coming off the pitch at the same time as Marquinhos, who pulled up clutching his hamstring. In the first half, Ousmane Dembélé had already been forced off holding the back of his leg.
PSG revealed that both players “will remain in treatment for the coming weeks,” which would suggest an absence until at least the other side of the November international break. First-choice left back Nuno Mendes had already been ruled out of the clash with Barcelona thanks to a hamstring problem that was given the same vague timeline.
Enrique operates an extreme injury prevention scheme, resting his stars for most domestic fixtures so they are fresh for the Champions League. Marquinhos, for example, racked up more European appearances (15) than domestic outings (14) last term. While that naturally reduces the workload, there is also the risk of players not being properly prepared for the maximum physical demands required when the occasion does call for it.
Kvaratskhelia’s ACL tear is a cruel freak accident but the proliferation of soft-tissue damage among his teammates could spark some consideration about a different approach going forward.
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