Kylian Mbappe will be rested by PSG before their Champions League match
With a Champions League last 16 matchup approaching, Paris Saint-Germain does not want to jeopardize Kylian Mbappe’s damaged ankle in Saturday’s Ligue 1 match against Lille.
The injury occurred during PSG’s French Cup semifinal victory against Brest on Thursday, when Mbappe scored the game’s first goal.
Although the results of the first medical examinations were apparently “reassuring,” PSG coach Luis Enrique will not want to take a chance with his key asset when Real Sociedad visits the Champions League five days later.
On Friday, the player who is said to be heading to Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season will undergo further testing.
The future of Mbappe and PSG’s continuing existence at their Parc des Princes stadium are both unknown.
Following a meeting on Thursday, the club’s request to purchase the stadium from its owners, the Paris City Council, seems to have been rejected.
“We wish to depart from the Parc des Princes, as it is now finished,” said Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the club’s president from Qatar.
Enrique’s team will have a good test against Lille, who are now in fourth place, before the crucial European game on Thursday.
The reason for Mbappe’s injury was Lilian Brassier, the Brest defender, who received racial abuse on social media after receiving a second yellow card.
Brest, who are atop the third division and play home to Clermont on Sunday, strongly denounced the online harassment that one of their players had been subjected to.
PSG is cruising at the top, eight points ahead of Nice, who are hosting rivals from the south coast, Monaco. PSG is fighting for their third consecutive domestic league triumph and their 12th overall.
Midweek saw Nice, controlled by Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos, Manchester United’s new owner, demolish Montpellier 4-1 in the French Cup.
Marseille will have the ideal chance to win their first game of 2024 on Friday when the relegation-threatened Metz visit their Velodrome headquarters.
Marseille is hoping to recover from their loss to Lyon, the fallen giants, last weekend as they go to Montpellier.
A victory would calm tensions at Marseille, the site of many crisis meetings as they have dropped to seventh place.
Schedule (all times in GMT)
Friday
Metz against Marseille (2000)
On Saturday
Strasbourg v. Lens (1600)
Lille vs. Paris Saint-Germain (2000)
Sunday
Rennes vs. Le Havre (1200)
Nantes vs Toulouse (1400)
Brest v. Clermont (1400)
Reims v. Lorient (1400)
Lyon vs Montpellier (1605)
Monaco v. Nice (1945)
