Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Injury Update: Latest Details, Recovery Timeline and Impact on Team

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has sustained a major calf injury against RC Lens in a Ligue 1 encounter. To make things worse for the reigning European champions, PSG, three players got badly injured for Luis Enrique's side, which also includes Dembele and Doue. After a collision with Lens' player, PSG's star forward Khvicha Kvartskhelia was subbed off by the medical team as a precautionary measure.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Injury Details

The injury resulted in visible bruising and abrasions on his calf. Calf injuries are very common in football and are often caused by sudden sprints, direction changes or tackles. Even a minor calf injury can majorly impact a player's performance, like speed, acceleration and agility. For a winger like Khvicha Kvartskhelia, this is not a positive development at all. Ousmane Dembele also suffered a hamstring injury while on international duty with France. Calf injuries generally take at least two weeks to heal, depending upon the severity. The estimated time of return might also vary. Khvicha Kvartskhelia's injury history tells us that it was back in the 2020-21 season with Rubin Kazan, when he was sidelined from action for over 50 days.

How Does Khvicha Kvartskhelia's Injury Affect PSG?

PSG have their next game lined up against former Europa League winners Atalanta. Khvicha Kvartskhelia's absence in the next game could be a big blow for the European champions as they kickstart their Champions League title defence campaign against one of the finest Italian sides. Their next two games are lined up against Marseille and Auxerre in Ligue 1. Then, they will head towards Catalonia to face the reigning Spanish champions, FC Barcelona, in their second UCL fixture.

In Khvicha Kvartskhelia's absence, the 17-year-old French teenager Ibrahim Mbaye could step up to replace the injured Georgian. He is a product of the PSG academy and has impressed a lot during his stints with the under-16 national team. But whether Mbaye can step up to perform in big games is a question yet unanswered.

When Will Khvicha Kvartskhelia Return?

Looking at the severity of the injury, Khvicha might surely miss the next game against Atalanta, and for precautionary reasons, he might also start from the bench in the domestic league games, but he might be fully fit to play against Barcelona. It is all up to how Mbaye adapts on the left flank and how smartly Luis Enrique uses Khvicha Kvartskhelia ahead of PSG's two crucial UCL games lined up against Atalanta and Barcelona.