Instead, he spent Friday watching tennis on Centre Court, walking with the aid of a cane, three months into recovery from the ruptured Achilles that ended both campaigns in one cruel moment.
The injury struck in the 22nd minute of Liverpool's 2-0 Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain on April 14, a non-contact slip that required Ekitike to be stretchered off in tears. Scans confirmed a full rupture, ruling him out for the rest of the season and, with it, any chance of joining up with Didier Deschamps' squad as France charge toward Tuesday's semi-final against Spain.
Speaking to British GQ during his trip to Wimbledon, Ekitike sounded at peace with a situation he clearly wishes were different.
"Obviously I'm in touch with them (the France squad) but not a lot because they're busy playing and I'm busy with my recovery," he said. "I wish I was there, but that's life. I am where I am, and sometimes everybody has to deal with stuff.
"That's my challenge and I accepted it so I'm happy for them and I hope they're going to reach the final, win it, and bring the cup back to France."
His trip to Centre Court doubled as his first experience of watching top-level tennis live, arriving in time to see defending champion Jannik Sinner dispatch Novak Djokovic in straight sets to set up Sunday's final against Alexander Zverev.
"It's my first official game to go watch and have good seats and everything," Ekitike said. "Honestly, it's not something I've shown a lot but I really like tennis. It's the kind of sport like boxing where it's very individual. And I like the fact that you have to deal with pressure for three, four, five hours in a game. It's going to be intense, but I'm glad to be here."
The 24-year-old has spent much of the summer working with physio Berengar Buschmann in Los Angeles, a specialist he sought out personally to help accelerate his recovery, before returning to Liverpool's AXA Training Centre earlier this week for a fresh assessment.
Reports in France have suggested he is privately targeting a Boxing Day comeback, though the club has not confirmed a timeline, with Achilles ruptures typically requiring nine to twelve months before a full return to first-team action.