Huge blow for PSG as World Cup golden boy Mbappe to miss heavyweight clash with Bayern

It is a strange and calamitous quirk of fate that there was always one Paris Saint-Germain superstar who unexpectedly got injured ahead of vital Champions League ties in recent seasons.

In 2018, PSG striker Neymar was forced off the pitch on a stretcher after sustaining a severe ankle injury during a league game against Marseille, which saw the world’s most expensive footballer miss the second leg of their much-anticipated showdown with defending champions Real Madrid.

A year later, Neymar injured his metatarsal after twisting his foot during a Coupe de France encounter with Strasbourg, which ruled him out of the blockbuster clash with English giants Manchester United.

The same thing happened again on Thursday, when PSG confirmed that their golden boy Kylian Mbappe will miss the first leg of their heavyweight tie against Bayern Munich on February 14. “After undergoing tests, Mbappe suffered an injury to the left thigh at the level of the femoral biceps,” read a club statement on Thursday.

The French wunderkind, who just won the World Cup Golden Boot with eight goals and netted a historic hat-trick in the final, was injured in Wednesday’s 3-1 win at Montpellier and has been ruled out for at least three weeks.

It’s a huge blow for the expensively assembled Ligue 1 juggernaut, who are desperate to shake off their poor run of form in the Champions League, having been eliminated in the last 16 in four of the last six campaigns.

Mbappe’s importance to PSG is beyond doubt. The 24-year-old has scored 25 goals in 26 appearances for PSG this season. Despite his young age, he is only a few goals away from being the club’s all-time top scorer.

With his blistering pace and lethal finishing skills, Mbappe has been the X Factor in determining big matches. Even when the striker is not at his best, he is the distraction that allows more space for his teammates to flourish. His absence could lead to a much-changed line-up and Bayern will not have to worry about the unpredictability of the talisman.

That is not the end of the devastating news for PSG. Their dependable defender Sergio Ramos also left the Montpellier clash with a potentially serious injury and could face some time on the sidelines after further tests.

TMbappe’s importance to PSG is beyond doubt. The 24-year-old has scored 25 goals in 26 appearances for PSG this season. Despite his young age, he is only a few goals away from being the club’s all-time top scorer.

With his blistering pace and lethal finishing skills, Mbappe has been the X Factor in determining big matches. Even when the striker is not at his best, he is the distraction that allows more space for his teammates to flourish. His absence could lead to a much-changed line-up and Bayern will not have to worry about the unpredictability of the talisman.

That is not the end of the devastating news for PSG. Their dependable defender Sergio Ramos also left the Montpellier clash with a potentially serious injury and could face some time on the sidelines after further tests.