In a match that could make or break their season, Paris Saint-Germain is hoping that injured star Kylian Mbappe will recover quickly and play against Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League. Mbappe returned to the training field on Sunday and again on Monday after being sidelined for three weeks due to a thigh injury he sustained in a match at Montpellier on February 1. The 22-man squad for the first leg of the round of 16 at Parc des Princes included the France superstar, indicating that he will participate in some capacity against the German powerhouses. The 24-year-old scored seven goals in six games during the group stage, but PSG coach Christophe Galtier said there were no assurances that he would even be used as a substitute for the match.
“He trained well and the feedback is positive but it is not yet sure that he will be on the team sheet. We will look at things tomorrow morning,” Galtier told reporters on Monday.
Bayern Coach believes Kylian Mbappe is fit
Prior to PSG’s announcement that the France superstar wouldn’t be ready for the first leg, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann had claimed the French club was engaging in mind tricks.
“I am assuming and anticipating that he is going to start. It is my job as head coach to be prepared for him playing and to try to prevent him from damaging us,” Nagelsmann, who is without the injured Sadio Mane, said in Paris on Monday. Read More: Real Madrid defeated Al Hilal to win a record fifth Club World Cup.
Galtier, meanwhile, refuted claims that PSG was considering using Mbappe as a substitute in order to intimidate their opponents in a rematch of the Germans’ 1-0 victory over PSG in the 2020 Champions League final in Lisbon.
After missing PSG’s 3-1 loss to Monaco on Saturday, their second straight loss and fourth in 10 games in 2024, Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti were also included in the squad. There have also been concerns about Bayern’s performance, but they have only suffered one loss all year and lead the Bundesliga. PSG’s slump has raised the possibility of the club being eliminated from the Champions League again too soon. In four of the previous six seasons, including the most recent one against eventual champions Real Madrid, they were eliminated from the competition in the final 16.
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