Saint-Denis (AFP)
Is there any hope to see injured Kylian Mbappé back for the "Final 8" of the Champions League? "Yes always but it will be very short, it's clear. Every day counts to work a miracle", hoped PSG coach Thomas Tuchel on Thursday.
Deprived of his star striker for the Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon on Friday (9:10 p.m.) at the Stade de France, Thomas Tuchel did not give "news" of the ankle injury, which occurred against Saint-Etienne during the final of the Coupe de France. "He always does care," he simply announced at a press conference.
Without Mbappé, announced absent for "about three weeks" and very uncertain for the quarter-final of the Champions League against Atalanta Bergamo on August 12, can the Lyon match serve to set up a Plan B ?
"It is not possible to prepare Atalanta because it is a team which plays in a very special way. What we can prepare is our spirit, our mentality. We want to show our hunger to win, to show that we are able to fight at this level, "said Thomas Tuchel.
"Without Kylian, it has a very big influence, it's clear. We want to find the solution. We will find it I hope", he added, citing the names of Pablo Sarabia and Eric Maxim Choupo- Moting as possible substitutes in a 4-4-2 system.
"We were very disappointed (when he was injured). He will be missed," lamented his teammate, Italy international Marco Verratti, on Thursday. He's an incredible boy, always with a smile. He is calm, he knows he will work more to come back as soon as possible ".
© 2020 AFP