Kvaratskhelia to have knee surgery after PSG beat Barcelona

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will have surgery on a torn knee ligament after getting hurt in Paris Saint-Germain's 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona on Tuesday.

The forward went down in the first half of the second half, so to speak, and was helped off just before the hour mark. He could not put any weight on his right leg. BBC Sport reports that the injury is a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, one of the main ligaments inside the knee that keeps it stable when a player turns, stops and changes direction.

It happened in a moment of effort. Kvaratskhelia sprinted back to try to win the ball from Barcelona's Xavi Espart. He landed awkwardly as he made the challenge, and his right knee twisted under him. The Guardian and others have described the same sequence.

Kvaratskhelia is 25. He joined PSG from Napoli in January 2025 and went on to help the club win back-to-back Champions League titles. He has made 11 appearances for them this season. PSG have not said when he might return, and a ruptured ligament of this kind usually means a long spell on the sidelines.

The match itself was a thriller. The teams were level at 2-2 at Parc des Princes with about 10 minutes left, and PSG scored twice in the closing stages to win. The victory took them to three wins from three games, and they sit top of the Champions League table.

The night brought more bad news. Ousmane Dembélé was forced off with a left thigh injury, and Marquinhos hurt his right thigh. PSG have confirmed that both will be out for a few weeks.

For PSG, the scoreboard and the table are good news. The squad, though, has lost a key attacker for a long period, and two more players are sidelined for shorter spells. The club will have to cover all three absences while they wait for their next match.

For Kvaratskhelia, the wait is the hard part. Surgery comes first, then months of rehabilitation, the slow work of rebuilding strength and trust in the knee. Fans across Paris and beyond will be hoping to see him back on the pitch.