Paris Saint-Germain have included Kylian Mbappe as part of their squad despite suffering a left foot injury ahead of Wednesday’s crucial UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu (catch all the Champions League action on Paramount+).
The France international’s goal separates the two sides heading into the return leg in the Spanish capital but he picked up a knock in training on Monday despite having missed the loss away at OGC Nice over the weekend in Ligue 1 and underwent immediate testing sparking fears he might miss Wednesday’s showdown.
Mbappe, 23, could feature significantly and he has been included in Mauricio Pochettino’s group of players with the Argentine reassuring during his press conference ahead of the game when asked about PSG’s superstar No. 7, his fitness, and the relentless speculation about his future.
“Kylian and I have spoken and he is fine,” said Pochettino on Tuesday. “When he suffered the knock, he cried out in pain and was hurt. He was able to walk a few hours later, though. I hope he trains well after this conference.
“Sometimes we speak too much. We are calm with Kylian and that is clear. He is mature, even though he is still young. He wants to play and defend the colors. I do not doubt him. He will not change the way he plays because of what is going on away from the pitch.
“I rate Lionel as the best player in the world with his seven Ballon d’Or titles,” added Pochettino when asked. “Kylian is one of the best in the world.”
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PSG have confirmed that Sergio Ramos and Ander Herrera will miss the Madrid clash having failed to recover in time to make the traveling party.
“Sergio Ramos will train individually until the end of the week,” added a PSG statement. “Ander Herrera is also training alone and continues to receive treatment for conjunctivitis. He will resume training with the squad at the end of this week.”
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