PARIS — Kylian Mbappe faces three weeks out with a thigh injury and will miss the first leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League last-16 tie against Bayern Munich on February 14, his club announced.
The France star was hurt during the first half of Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Montpellier in Ligue 1 having earlier had two penalties saved.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier had initially suggested Mbappe had suffered a knock to the back of the knee rather than a muscle injury, but tests have since confirmed the true extent of the problem.
“After undergoing tests, Kylian Mbappe suffered an injury to the left thigh at the level of the femoral biceps,” said a club statement according to AFP.
If he misses three weeks as expected, Mbappe can also expect to sit out next midweek’s French Cup last-16 tie against Marseille and faces a race against time to return for a potentially pivotal Ligue 1 game away to the same opponents at the end of this month.
However, PSG will hope that Mbappe, who has scored 25 goals in 26 appearances for his club this season, will be fit for the second leg against Bayern in Germany on March 8.
The news is a bitter blow for the French giants, who are desperate to avoid a repeat of what happened last season when they were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Real Madrid.
PSG and Marseille will do battle in Le Classique on February 8 for their Coupe de France last-16 tie, either side of Ligue 1 games with an in-form Toulouse this weekend and Monaco on February 11.
Following the visit of Bayern, PSG will host Lille on February 19 in Ligue 1 before another meeting with Classique rivals Marseille at the Orange Velodrome on February 26, which Mbappe will aim to come back for.
The France international is joined in the treatment room by fellow attacker Neymar, who was absent from Wednesday’s win over Montpellier due to muscular fatigue.
Nordi Mukiele (hamstring) and Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles) also remain absent for the French champions, who added that Ramos would undergo further tests after coming off with a head injury at the Stade de la Mosson.
Prior to Mbappe’s enforced substitution, the striker had a penalty saved by Benjamin Lecomte before a retake was awarded, but his second attempt hit the post and he blazed the rebound over the bar from close range.
Galtier’s side recovered from a slow first-half to strike through Fabian Ruiz and Lionel Messi in the second 45 before Arnaud Nordin pulled one back for Montpellier, but Warren Zaire-Emery added a third to become PSG’s youngest-ever goalscorer at 16 years and 330 days.
