- Fabio Aurelio suffered an Achilles injury in 2007
- Returned to the pitch in five months
- Brazilian was also injured in his first season at Anfield
Liverpool have confirmed that Hugo Ekitiké has sustained an Achilles injury and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The forward is the first Liverpool player to suffer this specific injury since former left-back Fabio Aurelio. In a striking coincidence, the Brazilian also sustained his injury in April during his debut campaign at Anfield.
The left-back joined the Reds in July 2006 after running down his contract at Valencia. He was the first Brazilian to join the Anfield side, reuniting with his former boss, Rafael Benitez, at the club.
Aurelio was playing his 25th match for Liverpool in the 2006/07 season when he suffered an Achilles injury. He was in action against PSV in the UEFA Champions League in the quarterfinals, which the Reds won 3-0.
What happened to Fabio Aurelio after his Achilles injury?
Aurelio needed just five months to make his return to the pitch, playing 69 minutes for Liverpool in the League Cup clash against Reading. He was back on the pitch in September and ended up making more appearances in his second season at the club than in his debut campaign.
The left-back played 28 times for the Reds in the 2007/08 season and also scored in a 3-1 win over Bolton in the Premier League. He played 16 times in the league campaign, starting 13 times and coming off the bench on three occasions.
He was a regular in the UEFA Champions League, where the Reds reached the semifinals before losing 4-3 on aggregate to Chelsea. He also started three times in the League Cup, where the Reds were knocked out in the quarterfinals, once again by Chelsea.
Aurelio needed some time to get back to his best for Liverpool, but played with the Reds until the end of his contract. He left for Gremio in May 2012, before calling it time on his career a year later.
Liverpool hope for Hugo Ekitike
Hugo Ekitike has vowed to make a comeback to the pitch, stronger than ever. He believes that the support and love from Liverpool fans will be key, and France manager Didier Deschamps is also confident about the striker’s return to the pitch.
The Frenchman is expected to undergo his surgery soon and should be back on the pitch in the final months of the year. However, the fans will have to be patient with the former Eintracht Frankfurt star, as history has shown that players take up to a year to get back to their best after suffering an Achilles injury.
The pressure will now build on Alexander Isak, who will have to carry the Liverpool attack with Ekitike injured and Mohamed Salah leaving in the summer.
