Paris Saint-Germain are sweating on the fitness of star striker Kylian Mbappe who has picked up a throat infection ahead of today’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund.
The French World Cup star missed team training Monday and yesterday and was reported to have a sore throat, with his club needing to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg in Germany three weeks ago. Mbappe has scored six goals in his past three PSG matches, including a hat-trick in the 5-1 French Cup semi-final win over Lyon last week. “We’re trying to see if he can train a bit tonight (Tuesday). We have to wait and decide tomorrow morning,” coach Thomas Tuchel said.
Spanish international Pablo Sarabia is a possible replacement should Mbappe miss the game. PSG lost 2-1 to an Erling Haaland-inspired Dortmund before a crowd of 80,000 in Germany last month, but the return leg will be played at an empty Parc des Princes due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“We’re a team that likes to attack, and we’re going to attack. We’re going to try and score as many goals as possible,” said Tuchel. “But if the final score is 1-0 to us, I would be perfectly happy.”
PSG’s game away to Strasbourg at the weekend was postponed due to the extent of the virus outbreak in the Alsace region of eastern France. “It was a shame (not to play). It continues to be a bit strange,” said Tuchel. “In a match like this one, it’s super important (to have fans) to create a special atmosphere, and to put pressure on our opponents. With the coronavirus news and Kylian Mbappe, that gives us lots of things to think about,” he added. “But it’s a football match, we have to adapt. I’m confident in the fact we’ll be able to do it.”
Tuchel also said a decision on the fitness of captain Thiago Silva would be made today. The Brazilian defender hasn’t played since injuring his thigh against Bordeaux on February 23.
Estimates put the financial hit to Qatar-owned PSG of playing the game without the presence of nearly 50,000 fans at the Parc des Princes in the region of six million euros ($6.9 million), while the president of the club’s Ultras fans group has called on supporters to gather outside the stadium instead.
However, it is still possible the strange atmosphere will work in the home team’s favour, removing some of the immense pressure on them. Agitated supporters are restless at the thought of their team – despite all the Qatari investment – going out of the Champions League in the last 16 for the fourth year running.
PSG have fallen at this hurdle in each of the last three seasons, often in farcical fashion. In 2017 there was the capitulation in Barcelona, a 6-1 defeat following a 4-0 first-leg win. They then spent over 400 million euros to make Neymar and Mbappe the two most expensive signings in the world, but the Brazilian missed the second leg of the 2018 defeat by Madrid due to injury and then sat out both legs of an improbable exit to Manchester United last year.
In eight years since the Qatari takeover, PSG have beaten just three teams in Champions League knockout ties: Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea (twice).
In a recent interview, sporting director Leonardo tried to take pressure off Thomas Tuchel’s team before the Dortmund tie. “It’s not life or death. If we lose we will try again next year,” he insisted. “We need to stop all the negativity. We have a fantastic team and fantastic players.”
If they do reach a first quarter-final since 2016, the weight off their shoulders will be huge and might well be replaced by a realisation that winning the trophy for the first time is a real possibility.
Coach Tuchel is under contract until 2021 but, just like Unai Emery and Laurent Blanc before him, it is hard to see how he would survive another disappointing European showing.
With Kylian MBappe (left) unlikely to face Borussai Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain will hope Neymar can deliver in the Champions League last 16 match. (AFP)
