PSG’s Champions League bid in peril
Mbappe doubtful for Atalanta quarter-final
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe is doubtful for the Champions League after suffering a serious ankle injury in the French Cup final, the French champions announced on Saturday.
Mbappe hobbled off in the first half of Friday’s game after a dreadful tackle by Saint-Etienne captain Loic Perrin.
And after tests PSG revealed that their 21-year-old star had “a sprained right ankle with significant ligament damage”.
The news is a major blow for PSG with Mbappe out of this Friday’s French League Cup final and unlikely to be fit in time for next month’s Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta in Lisbon.
He received lengthy treatment but was eventually substituted after the tackle which earned Perrin a red card.
“Everyone is worried. Everyone who saw the foul is worried. Of course I’m worried,” said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel after his team’s 1-0 win.
“It’s the third game against SaintEtienne and it’s a third red card, each time in the first 30 minutes,” added Tuchel.
“It’s not all good news for us.”
“It did crack a bit for sure,” Mbappe, who returned to the bench on crutches after half-time, was heard on camera telling French President Emmanuel Macron who was attending the first competitive game in France since the coronavirus lockdown.
PSG face Lyon in the French League Cup final before resuming their
European campaign in a straight knockout tournament at the Estadio da Luz on Aug 12.
“I hope Kylian is going to recover as quickly as possible because he’s a vital player for us,” said PSG captain Thiago Silva.
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he was “sorry” to hear of Mbappe’s injury and hoped it was “nothing serious”.
Saint-Etienne boss Claude Puel admitted the forward was simply too quick for the 34-year-old Perrin.
“I hope it’s a minor injury for Kylian. The intention was to play the ball but it’s true that he was too fast,” said Puel.
Mbappe’s misfortune revived memories of the injuries that forced Neymar to miss Champions League last-16 ties in both 2018 and 2019.