Official | Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike receives first France call-up as Rayan Cherki suffers torn quadriceps

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·31 August 2025

Official | Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike receives first France call-up as Rayan Cherki suffers torn quadriceps

Hugo Ekitike (23) has received his first-ever senior France call-up, the French FA have officially announced on their socials. The Liverpool striker was initially omitted from Didier Deschamps’ squad announcement on Wednesday with Les Bleus set to face Ukraine and Poland for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the September international break.

Deschamps called up Rayan Cherki (22), but the Manchester City playmaker had to pull out of the squad due to a torn quadriceps. City head coach Pep Guardiola has said that Cherki is set to miss the next two months of action. To replace the Lyon Academy graduate, the 1998 and 2018 World Cup winner opted to pick Ekitike. The former Eintracht Frankfurt centre-forward has hit the ground running with Liverpool, with whom he scored three goals in as many games.