David Kharabadze talks about khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has undergone successful knee surgery in Doha and now faces a long recovery. When will Georgia’s star be back on the pitch?

Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia talisman Khvicha Kvaratskhelia tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee on 20 October, during PSG’s 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona. The injury came in the 59th minute, after a duel with Xavi Espart, and he had to be carried off.

The next day PSG confirmed the diagnosis: a ruptured ACL. On 27 October the club announced that Kvaratskhelia had undergone successful surgery at the Aspetar clinic in Doha, Qatar, and had begun his rehabilitation.

Georgia national-team doctor Davit Kharabadze, who is in daily contact with the player, spoke about the operation.

“Right after the injury we were in contact in the dressing room, and the next day too — before he had the MRI that confirmed a high-grade tear of the anterior cruciate ligament,” the doctor said.

He said the procedure went smoothly: “The surgery was done, it went well, and he feels good. I’m in daily contact and I know the details — what kind of operation was performed and by what method. But out of professional courtesy, PSG hasn’t made this public yet, so I’ll hold back too.”

According to the doctor, Kvaratskhelia will stay in Doha for about a week for the first stage, then return to Paris to continue his recovery.

How hard is the recovery? 

The first phase, the doctor says, is the toughest: “The first stage is about controlling the swelling and gradually increasing the knee’s range of flexion and extension. There’s so-called passive-motion therapy — a special machine that slowly bends and straightens the knee at different angles, and every day those degrees increase.”

Once the pain and swelling fade, the player drops the crutches and moves into a more active phase. “Active rehabilitation starts somewhere from two and a half to three months — when you can already jog, walk fast, use a stationary bike,” Kharabadze added.

For an injury like this, a full recovery usually takes 7-9 months. That means Kvaratskhelia is likely to miss the rest of the 2026/27 season and return to the pitch around the summer of 2027.

Reactions 

After the injury, Kvaratskhelia shared an emotional message on social media: “Not much time has passed, yet one thought keeps circling in my head: why me?.. I’m ready to go through these months in labor, pain and tears. I know I have to come back stronger.”

His idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, offered support too: “The hardest battles in football are often the ones nobody sees. I know that feeling, Kvara. Keep that fire on. Your best is still to come.”

PSG coach Luis Enrique described Kvara as “a fighter” who will come back even stronger once he has overcome the injury.

What PSG and Georgia lose 

For Paris it is a heavy blow — last season Kvaratskhelia was named the Champions League’s best player. Georgia, meanwhile, are left without their captain for November’s Nations League matches against Hungary (14 November, Tbilisi) and Ukraine (17 November).