Hugo Ekitike thanked French fans on Thursday after they held up a “Courage Hugo” banner during France’s match against the Ivory Coast, turning a quiet rehab update into a public show of support for the injured forward. On his Instagram story, the 23-year-old reposted a screenshot from 22 minutes into the game and wrote in French, “Thank you so much for the support,” before adding, “Go Blues! I’m behind you!”
The message landed because Ekitike has been out since a non-contact Achilles injury in the second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League quarterfinal against Paris Saint-Germain, when he was stretchered off the pitch. He was soon ruled out for the rest of the season and the World Cup with a torn Achilles tendon, an injury that typically takes around a full year to heal depending on its severity. The setback has left him in a long rehabilitation stretch, and the timing of the fan tribute made clear that his absence is still being felt in France and at Liverpool alike.
Ekitike had already told followers that the recovery had been difficult, writing that it was “hard” and perhaps “unfair,” while saying he was grateful it was happening to him “here, among you.” He added that he was not alone and that the strength and love around him would be his driving force, a line that now reads less like a social media note and more like a map for the months ahead. France will go on without him at the World Cup, and Liverpool are not expected to bring in a replacement while he is sidelined.
There is, at least, one reason for guarded hope. The surgery on Ekitike’s Achilles was supervised by the same surgeon who operated on Jayson Tatum, who returned in less than a year. That does not shorten the recovery already ahead of Ekitike, but it does show why the forward’s eventual return remains a live question rather than a closed one. For now, the only confirmed next step is rehab, with Thursday’s banner offering a reminder that he has not been left to do it alone.
