International football
Kvaratskhelia tears cruciate ligament and will have surgery; PSG also lose Dembélé and Marquinhos for several weeks
The 4-2 win over Barcelona came at a high price for the French champions: the Georgian will be sidelined for months.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
October 21, 2026, 12:00 · Updated 12:23 · 1 min read
In brief
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will undergo surgery in the coming days.
- Ousmane Dembélé and Marquinhos have thigh injuries and are expected to miss several weeks.
- PSG host Lyon on Sunday, with whom they share the top of Ligue 1.
Paris Saint-Germain beat Barcelona 4-2 on Tuesday night, but the next day the French club confirmed a heavy injury toll. Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will undergo surgery “in the coming days,” according to a PSG statement. He is expected to be out for months.
Kvaratskhelia was injured after a tackle early in the second half and was substituted around the 60th minute. After the diagnosis, he reacted emotionally on social media, asking why it had happened to him of all people. Last season he had also had an injury to his right ankle.
Two more key absences
PSG will be without two other starters. Ousmane Dembélé came off in the 19th minute with a left thigh injury, while captain Marquinhos injured his right thigh and was also substituted around the 60th minute. Both are expected to be out for several weeks. Dembélé has repeatedly struggled with leg muscle problems in recent seasons.
Lyon on the horizon
The win over Barcelona was PSG’s third straight in the Champions League and left the team without dropped points in the league phase. However, the absences come at a delicate moment: on Sunday the Parisians host Lyon in Ligue 1, in a meeting between two teams sharing first place on the same points.
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick acknowledged after the match that his team made too many mistakes and that PSG showed why they remain a great team, adding that titles are won in June.
