PSG's Kvaratskhelia set for surgery after ACL rupture in Barcelona game
Kvaratskhelia set for ACL surgery in major blow for PSG
The video reports that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ruptured his ACL in the Champions League game against Barcelona and will undergo surgery, with French football expert Julian assessing the impact and likely recovery time. It also discusses Bradley Barcola’s exit, Barcelona’s banner complaint to UEFA, and previews Como v Manchester United and Bayern Munich v Arsenal. Julian sees the injury as a huge blow but believes PSG’s squad depth can help them cope.
- Kvaratskhelia’s ACL injury is a massive blow to both the player and PSG, and it will make PSG look very different on the left — He is one of the world’s best wingers and was the Champions League’s best player last season, and PSG do not have a like-for-like replacement
- Kvaratskhelia is likely to be out for six to eight months — The recovery depends on how quickly he rehabs and on knee scarring and swelling
- With hindsight PSG will regret letting Barcola go, though the decision made sense at the time — Barcola wanted Liverpool, had two years left and would not have renewed; now PSG could really use him in the squad
- PSG should not be derailed by this injury crisis because they have depth and rotate well — Dembele and the captain may be out for about three weeks, an international break follows, and PSG already have nine points in the Champions League
- Barcelona’s anger at PSG’s chainsaw banner is understandable and the banner may be in poor taste — But ultra culture is about intimidating opponents and creating a hostile atmosphere, especially after the weekend riots in Paris
- Manchester United and Carrick will find it hard to get a result at Como — Como play a wonderful collective brand under Fabregas, who has recruited well and made young players perform as a unit
- Bayern Munich v Arsenal should be more open than Arsenal’s game against Nottingham Forest, and Bayern will be seeking revenge — Arsenal will not face a low block; last season at the same stage they won 3-1 at the Emirates
► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub ► Watch Sky Sports with NOW: https://bit.ly/NOWSkySportsYT Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is set to have surgery after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the French club have confirmed. The 25-year-old, who was named the Champions League's best player last season, was injured in Tuesday's 4-2 home win over Barcelona. The European champions have said Kvaratskhelia will have an operation "in the coming days" but gave no timeline for his recovery. SkySportsNews SkySports football ► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories ► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre More from Sky Sports on YouTube: ► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub ► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub ► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket ► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts ► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub ► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1 ► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf ► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL ► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub ► Sky Sports WSL: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsWSL ► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews ► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews ► Website: https://www.skysports.com ► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage
Transcript
Welcome back. A huge blow for Paris Sanain with the Georgian winger Kavita Kevat Scalia facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines who ruptured his ACL last night in their Champions League game with Barcelona. He's now undergoing knee surgery. He's vowed to come back stronger though. This is what he said in a statement today on Insta. Before every game I play, I asked God to leave the field healthy, but in vain. It has been a long time, but it's still on my mind. Why me anyway? I have never missed anything. Probably I prepared for this game the best I ever prepared. I thought I was prepared for everything, but not and I realized that God chose me and if I protected the players on another field, I'm ready to go through the through these months in labor, pain, tears. I know I have to come back stronger for my people who always have my back. I won't let you down. I promise. I won't waste a second. Thank you for your support. See you soon, he says. Oh dear. Well, French football expert Julian joins me more on this for more on this story. And Julian curs the commentator because we were only talking about how wonderful he was yesterday, weren't we? I mean, this is a huge blow for PSG, isn't it? >> Yeah, massive blow for forcal himself obviously Vicki for PSG too. Although they have other options up front, but there was also the injury to man Dembele yesterday earlier in the game which is just a hamstring. Obviously not as serious as the ACL like Vara suffered, but really cruel for any player. Cruel injury, cruel for him on the back of an incredible year last year, an incredible season that has put him in the contenders to win the Balondo awards on Monday night and on a on a defensive uh effort really to track back on his defender. That's how it happened. So let's hope he comes back stronger and for PSG they would obviously have to do without him for most of the season unfortunately. Yeah, you talk about it being cruel. I mean, it's cruel for us as the fans as well because he's such a joy to watch, isn't he? Um, in your experience, how long do you think he'll be out for after suffering an ACL? >> Yeah, it would be between six and eight months really, depending on how much and how quickly um he can do his rehab and the the scarring on the knee um like swollen down and things like that for example. So the fear last night straight after he came off in that second half he could not put his foot on the floor was I think the people at the club were fearing the most suddenly that's the messages that I got and then later in the night even before the scans that he did this morning they knew that it was it was pretty bad and and really serious. So it's a real shame >> there are different options but you're right we're talking about one of the best wingers in the world who was the Champions League best player last season and by far by the way. So obviously without him it would be very different even in the way PSG attack and PSG press and PSG defend without VS Kelly on that left hand side. >> Yeah I mean and also perhaps the the understudy to him was of course Bradley Barcola again we talked about him getting into his stride in Liverpool at the moment. Will they regret that decision of of getting rid of him do you think? >> Yes and no. You know you never know what could happen to another of your players. They felt that he wanted to go to Liverpool. it was the right time to to let him go. Two years before the end of his contract, he would not have renewed his contract. They knew that in Paris. So, it makes it made sense for them. Now, you look at it with hindsight and the injury to VA and you think, okay, yeah, if he stayed, he would have been a starter. He would have had Barola, Dembele, and D up front and that's a wonderful front three as well. It won't be that. It could be Ferane Torres with Dway and Dembele. It could be a who was really good against Manchester City last week in the Champions League and scored a goal as well. So they have different options but yeah now you think okay they could have done with Barcola being in the squad right now for sure. >> Yeah you'd think wouldn't you? Um look you mentioned the injuries obviously they they got an injury to the captain didn't they Marinos and also you said Dembele as well. I mean could this potentially derail them at all? We were talking earlier to Carv and he felt they do have strength in depth that you mentioned but could this derail them? They have strength in depth and they they rotate usually quite a lot between the Champions League and and Liga for example. So they could do that for we expect Dembele and Marinos to be out for potentially three weeks maybe a little bit more. There will be the international break coming up next month as well. So I don't think it's too bad but they've got a big game against on Sunday at the PR for example two teams that at the top of of the league table. So in the Champions League they've got nine points already out of three games. They will they will qualify. They would likely finish in the top eight or sun they shoot after playing the two biggest teams that they have in their schedule in city last week and and Barcelona yesterday. So they could be okay but it's never good when you lose players like that for them. It's another muscular injury. Marinos is getting older. He's 33 now. So those Enrique would have obviously much rather avoid than than having to suffer them. >> Yeah absolutely. I mean also can we talk about this banner because Barcelona have reported them at PSG to UEFA haven't they for the banner that they displayed before kickoff featuring a chainsaw. What more can you tell us about this? >> Yeah Barcelona not happy at all and you see the the PSG ultra there with the the banner underneath saying Parisian which is kind of Parisian massacre really. I think the the about massacre with a chainsaw or something like that. It's the ultra culture is >> very much to intimidate the opponent and we're very much used to that on the continent anymore than here in in England. So I can see why people in Barcelona didn't like it. Maybe you don't think it's the right taste especially on the back of the the riots in Paris all through the weekend for example. But for the ultra it's it's just again part of the culture of trying to make the environment really hostile for the opposition. >> We are losing you a little bit. But you are worth trying. So I'm going to keep going. You're a little bit blurry but we'll go with it. Okay. Um look just a couple more questions. Como face Manchester United tonight. Extraordinary rise for the Italian club over the last decade, isn't it? >> Yeah absolutely. some of rich owners um from Indonesia Ces Fabregas doing a wonderful job there. Very interesting where the club is is on because you've got people with minority stake like Toni like Ces Fabregas as well. They've recruited really well young players maybe not familiar names everywhere on the pitch. the likes of Nikopaz or Duvikas or Dakunia, but Ces has made them perform so well as a collective unit and it's a it's a it's a big challenge for United and Carrick to go to Ko tonight and get something out of the game because they play a wonderful brand of football. >> Yeah, it could be a really difficult game for them. Just finally then Bayern Munich take on Arsenal tonight. We can't wait for this one and a certain Mr. Harry Kane who obviously we've talked about the Balandor and me my hopes for him but he's looking to get one over his former North London rivals. Do you think they'll do it? Yeah, he's got a great record, remember against Arsenal when he was playing for Spurs and and then even for for Bayern Munich in in previous seasons. So, it's very much and we could we could portray as a tag defense although Michael is suspended which is a big blow for Bayern. It should be a very interesting game because Arsenal will not face a team that plays with a low block like we saw Forest at the weekend for example. So it should be a bit more of an open game for them as well and then and a and a big challenge for sure. One that Michart time and the players would finish. Remember last season pretty much at the same stage they won 3-1 that was at the Emirates and I think there's probably a bit of a revenge that Bayern would want to have on them tonight. >> Lovely. Always lovely to see you Julian even if it's a little blurry. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Right. Celtic are preparing to take on Celt in the Europa League tomorrow night. No Martin O'Neal in the news conference today. Instead, we can now hear