Hugo Ekitike attended Wimbledon with a cane – offering fans a glimpse into how his recovery from a ruptured Achilles is going.
The Liverpool forward sustained the injury during a Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain in April.
It cruelly robbed him of a place in France’s World Cup squad, although Les Bleus haven’t exactly missed the forward given they are two victories away from winning the tournament.
With the extra time off and unable to properly take part in Liverpool’s pre-season, Ekitike ventured down south to SW19 to take in Friday’s action.
The 24-year-old, who is expected to be on the sidelines for the rest of 2026, showed off his fashionable side at the All England Club, donning a Dolce and Gabbana suit with a paisley-print tie.
He complemented the outfit with a cane, which may have been used to help lessen the weight placed on his right foot.
Ekitike wasn’t the only Liverpool star to attend Wimbledon on Friday, with skipper Virgil van Dijk also present.
Van Dijk was parked up in the Royal Box near actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
The towering defender was able to attend after the Netherlands lost to Morocco on penalties in the World Cup round of 32.
It was the Netherlands’ earliest exit from the World Cup since 2006 and prompted the immediate resignation of Ronald Koeman.
Which games at Wimbledon did Ekitike and Van Dijk watch?
Friday’s matches at Wimbledon gave Ekitike and Van Dijk ample opportunity to distract themselves from football.
In the first contest on Centre Court, British underdog Arthur Fery had his dream run ended by Alexander Zverev in straight sets.
2
The semi-final proved to be a step too far for Fery, who entered the main draw as a wildcard, but walks away from Wimbledon with £900,000 in prize money and a new ranking of No. 36.
Reigning champion Jannik Sinner prevailed in the other semi-final, brushing aside Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.
Major changes afoot at Anfield
Although Ekitike and Van Dijk managed to enjoy a day out at the tennis, their attention will quickly shift towards pre-season.
Ekitike is not expected to return until 2027 while Van Dijk will soon link up with his teammates having been afforded extra time off due to the World Cup.
The duo will have a new man in charge as Andoni Iraola replaced Arne Slot following Liverpool’s disappointing Premier League title defence.
Liverpool also have wasted little time in strengthening, with Jeremy Jacquet officially arriving after the Reds agreed a deal worth up to £60m with Rennes in January while Victor Munoz joined from Osasuna in a £34m deal.
World Cup WhatsApp
Don’t miss an update from talkSPORT in our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.
Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll drop the proper, unfiltered football chat straight to your lock screen—no fluff, just pure talkSPORT energy.
It’s where you’ll find out all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reaction and big match player ratings.
Plus there will be loads of debates on the biggest talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.
