- PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in the UEFA Champions League, but the victory came at a steep physical cost for both sides
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was carried off the pitch after a knee collision, with growing fears he may have suffered an ACL tear
- PSG also lost Ousmane Dembele and captain Marquinhos to injury in the same game, leaving Luis Enrique deeply concerned
Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League, with late goals from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz sealing the win. But PSG coach Luis Enrique left the Parc des Princes with far heavier concerns than the scoreline could reflect, after three of his players were forced off injured in a bruising evening.
Ousmane Dembele was the first to go, pulling up after just 19 minutes clutching his left thigh, with Ferran Torres coming on to face his former club.
Source: Getty Images
The evening took a far grimmer turn after the break when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia collided in the air with Barcelona right-back Xavi Espart and immediately crumpled to the ground in serious pain.
The 25-year-old Georgian could not put any weight on his right foot and had to be carried off the pitch by two members of the medical team.
In the same chaotic sequence, captain Marquinhos also walked off injured, forcing Enrique to send on Maghnes Akliouche to shore up his rapidly thinning squad.
Barcelona were not spared, either. Dani Olmo departed in the 27th minute after picking up a knock, making way for Fermin Lopez in what proved a testing night for both benches.
Enrique reacts after PSG suffer multiple injuries
Despite securing a significant European result, Enrique was candid about the mood in camp after the final whistle.
Speaking to reporters post-match, the PSG coach said the physical toll on his squad overshadowed the victory entirely, Livescore reports.
"I am not the doctor. I am the coach," Enrique said.
"The three injuries is the worst part of the game today. We will have to wait for the tests tomorrow. They are three very important players, so it's really bad news, of course, but that's football."
Fabian Ruiz echoed that sentiment in his own post-match remarks, pointing to the fear inside the dressing room over Kvaratskhelia's worrying fall and the manner in which he was taken off the field.
ACL fears grow over Kvaratskhelia
French publication L'Equipe reported that PSG are deeply anxious about the extent of Kvaratskhelia's knee injury, with members of the winger's entourage fearing he has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament following initial assessments, One Football reports.
The Georgian international was set to undergo an MRI scan on Wednesday to determine the full extent of the damage.
Should the early diagnosis prove accurate, Kvaratskhelia could face a recovery period of up to six months, a potentially devastating blow to PSG's Champions League ambitions.
The winger has been a central figure in the club's success in Europe in recent seasons, contributing meaningfully to their runs in claiming the competition in the last two seasons.
Dembele's and Marquinhos' conditions were also yet to be confirmed at the time of the post-match press conference, with Enrique indicating the squad would need to wait for further medical tests before any clear picture emerged on all three players.
Flick reacts after losing to PSG
Legit.ng previously reported about Hansi Flick’s reaction to Barcelona’s 4-2 defeat by PSG in the Champions League, including the reasons he gave for his team’s performance.
Barcelona’s first loss of the season came just days before El Clásico, with Flick warning his squad they must learn from their mistakes before facing Real Madrid on Sunday.
Source: Legit.ng