Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during Tuesday's 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona at the Parc des Princes, and the forward will go under the knife shortly, according to Sky Sports.
The French champions said the 25-year-old will have an operation "in the coming days" but did not offer a recovery timetable. Sky Sports reports that the severity of the tear casts doubt on whether the Georgia captain will feature again this season, and he is certain to be absent for PSG's European trip to Aston Villa on December 8.
Why it matters
Kvaratskhelia was voted the Champions League's best player last season, a campaign in which PSG lifted the trophy for the second year running and also claimed the Ligue 1 title. He has since been shortlisted for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
His absence lands at an awkward moment for Luis Enrique's squad, which is chasing a third consecutive European crown. PSG have opened the new league phase with three wins from three and sit top of the 36-team table, having beaten Manchester City and Barcelona by identical 4-2 scorelines this month. Domestically, they are second in Ligue 1, level on points with leaders Lyon.
The club's statement also confirmed that Ousmane Dembele, the current Ballon d'Or holder, and skipper Marquinhos both picked up thigh problems against Barcelona. Sky Sports reports that the pair "will remain under treatment for the next few weeks." A further concern is Nuno Mendes, who sat out the Barcelona match after sustaining an injury in Saturday's Ligue 1 win at Strasbourg.
A signing that reshaped PSG's attack
Kvaratskhelia arrived from Napoli in January 2025 for £59m plus add-ons, per Sky Sports, and has since developed into one of the most feared forwards in world football. His dribbling and direct running made him central to PSG's recent European success, and his loss removes a primary attacking outlet from a side that had been scoring freely.
The timing compounds the difficulty. With Dembele and Marquinhos also sidelined for the coming weeks and Mendes unavailable, Enrique faces a stretched squad across both the Champions League and Ligue 1. The club has not indicated how it intends to cover the gap, and no return date has been set for Kvaratskhelia.
ACL ruptures typically require surgery followed by an extended rehabilitation period, though PSG's statement offered no prognosis. Sky Sports notes that the injury raises serious questions about his availability for the remainder of the campaign.
What to watch
PSG's next fixtures will reveal how Enrique reshuffles his front line without last season's standout performer, while the club's medical update after Kvaratskhelia's operation should clarify the expected length of his absence.
