PSG's Kvaratskhelia to have knee surgery after ACL tear
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tore the ACL in his right knee during PSG's 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona.
- The club says the winger will go under the knife in the coming days and faces a long spell out.
- Ousmane Dembele and Marquinhos are also out for several weeks with thigh injuries.
Paris Saint-Germain will be without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a long stretch after the winger damaged the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club said on Wednesday. He will need an operation, which PSG said would take place within days.
The injury came in Tuesday night's Champions League match against Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, which PSG won 4-2. Kvaratskhelia went down with no opponent near him and was taken off shortly before the hour mark.
The 25-year-old Georgia international has been central to PSG's run of two straight Champions League titles. He is also among the names in the running for the Ballon d'Or, which is handed out on Monday.
A triple blow for the champions
PSG also confirmed that Ousmane Dembele, the current Ballon d'Or holder, and centre-back Marquinhos both picked up thigh problems in the same game. The club expects each of them to miss several weeks.
Losing three key players at once leaves the European champions short as they juggle domestic league games with the Champions League's new league phase. A torn ACL typically keeps a footballer out for many months, though PSG did not give a return date.
For Nigerian fans who follow the Champions League closely, the sight of Kvaratskhelia pulling up untouched will be familiar: knee injuries of this kind often happen without a tackle and can change a player's season in a single moment.
What happens next
Kvaratskhelia's surgery will be followed by rehabilitation, and the club is expected to update on his progress in the coming weeks. PSG must now plan without him, Dembele and Marquinhos for a busy run of fixtures.
