Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will undergo surgery for the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury he suffered in Paris Saint-Germain's 4-2 win over Barcelona on Tuesday, the French champions have announced.
Kvaratskhelia went down heavily on his right leg following a challenge from Xavi Espart in the 59th minute of the match at the Parc des Princes, fears of a major injury immediately fueled as he had to be carried off the pitch. Though no timeline has been set for his return after an operation, which PSG confirmed will take place "in the coming days," such a major injury will fuel doubts as to whether Kvaratskhelia will play again this season.
ACL injuries may not often be the career enders they once were but a rupture to the knee ligament remains one of the most significant a player can face, usually incurring an absence of at least nine months. It could take even longer before Kvaratskhelia is back to the brilliant form that helped propel PSG to two straight Champions League titles, the Georgian being named player of the tournament for the latter of those wins and also earning a nomination for the Ballon d'Or.
PSG will also be without forward Ousmane Dembele and center back Marquinhos for a "few weeks" after the injuries they suffered in an attritional win over Barcelona. It is, however, Kvaratskhelia's absence that will be giving Luis Enrique sleepless nights.
Who takes Kvaratskhelia's place?
It is not, however, the case that PSG want for options in attack. This summer saw the Parisians make significant changes to their attacking depth, bringing in combined fees in excess of $350 million for the sales of Goncalo Ramos, Lee Kang-in, Randal Kolo Muani, Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. In their place came the triumvirate of Maghnes Akliouche, Ferran Torres and Mika Godts, each costing around $50 million.
Akliouche would seem the most likely to step in. After all, it was the former Monaco man who got the starting spot against Manchester City over Kvaratskhelia, whose form had faltered in the early weeks of the season. The 24-year-old has two goals and an assist so far in 11 appearances for his new club and has won praise from Luis Enrique for his versatility and ability to play across the frontline. The latter is a critical quality for PSG, whose starting front three of Kvaratskhelia, Dembele and Desire Doue interchange positions almost at will.
It is easy to see how Ferran Torres might be able to pick up that role too. Generally used as a center forward in his final years at Barcelona and so far at PSG, the 26 year old first broke through as a winger with Valencia and Manchester City. Torres has already started brightly with seven goals to his name for Les Parisiens. The same cannot be said for Godts, whose only start of the season so far came against Le Mans earlier this month.
So PSG do not lack for options even if none of them are quite at Kvaratskhelia's level. The trouble for Luis Enrique might be how many more minutes he has to spread around. A driving force in the back-to-back triumphs has been the opportunity to rest key players in Ligue 1 games, ensuring they are fresh for the critical Champions League games at the back end of the season. With doubts as to whether Kvaratskhelia can make them and Dembele clearly requiring careful management throughout the season, it looks tougher than ever for PSG to keep the rest of their attack fresh and firing.
