Europe 1 with AFP 6:19 p.m., December 21, 2022
Kylian Mbappé made his return to PSG training to everyone's surprise on Wednesday, just three days after the defeat of the French team in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.
The Parisian players, concerned by the World Cup, were supposed to benefit from at least ten days of rest.
Bondy's prodigy does nothing like the others.
While he had the opportunity to take a few days off after the World Cup, Kylian Mbappé took everyone by surprise by resuming training on Wednesday.
The top scorer in the World Cup (8), author of a resounding hat-trick against the Argentines, was thus expected from January 2023, just like Lionel Messi.
@KMbappe was already back at the training center this Wednesday to prepare for the 2nd part of the season!
❤️ pic.twitter.com/4VtsdjDmow
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) December 21, 2022
But the Frenchman, who appeared very marked by the defeat of the Blues against Albiceleste (3-3 aet, 4-2 tab), especially during the celebrations in front of the French supporters, Monday Place de la Concorde in Paris, visibly wished to hasten his reunion with the field, the day after his 24th birthday.
A sign of his great determination to erase this painful chapter as quickly as possible to move on.
Achraf Hakimi also back
The rest of Mbappé's program has not been specified by PSG, which will be opposed to Strasbourg, on December 28, for the resumption of Ligue 1 at the Parc des Princes, then to Lens on January 1 at the Bollaert stadium.
Will he be on deck from these two meetings?
Will he still take a little vacation during the end of year celebrations?
With the 2018 world champion, as unpredictable on the pitch as off, all scenarios are on the table.
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"I'm very happy to see him, said coach Christophe Galtier, interviewed by club media. Kylian had a great World Cup and it's also a strong signal for everyone that a player who was able to be disappointed not to lift the most beautiful of trophies come very quickly in contact with the group to prepare for the deadlines which are coming very quickly".
The Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, semi-finalist of the World Cup, has also followed the example of Mbappé, his great friend, according to images posted by the club on social networks.
The other Parisian stars are unlikely to see the Camp des Loges again soon, the PSG training center located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the Yvelines, Messi has been launched since Monday in grandiose festivities in Argentina and will not return to French soil before 2023.
Uncertainty regarding Neymar
There is also great uncertainty around Neymar.
Eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup with Brazil and totally dejected, the number 10 must take care of his morale after this huge disappointment as well as his body after injuring his ankle in the first match against Serbia.
It is likely that the staff will give him time to heal quietly before asking him to return to Paris.
His teammate Marquinhos, who missed a shot on goal against Croatia in the quarter-finals, could however return much earlier.
The other globalists (11 players in total) have already returned to Camp des Loges, the two Portuguese Nuno Mendes and Danilo Pereira being unavailable through injury.