Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said “everyone is worried” after Kylian Mbappe hobbled off in the first half of Friday’s French Cup final with an ankle injury after a dreadful tackle by Saint-Etienne captain Loic Perrin.
Mbappe received lengthy treatment but was eventually substituted after
his right ankle was caught by a clumsy Perrin challenge that resulted in a red
card for the centre-back in likely his final game for Saint-Etienne.
“Everyone is
worried. Everyone who saw the foul is worried. Of course I’m worried,” said
Tuchel after his team’s 1-0 win.
“We have to be
patient because we don’t have any news. I think he will undergo tests tonight.”
A tearful Mbappe was replaced by
Pablo Sarabia but the greater concern for PSG will be the severity of his
injury ahead of next month’s Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta in
Lisbon.
He reemerged from
the Stade de France tunnel later in the second half on crutches.
“It’s the third
game against Saint-Etienne and it’s a third red card, each time in the first 30
minutes,” added Tuchel.
“It’s not all good
news for us.”
PSG face Lyon in
the French League Cup final next Friday before resuming their European campaign
in a unique straight knockout tournament at the Estadio da Luz on August 12.
“I hope Kylian is
going to recover as quickly as possible because he’s a vital player for us,”
said PSG captain Thiago Silva.
Atalanta coach Gian
Piero Gasperini said he was “sorry” to hear of Mbappe’s injury and hoped it was “nothing
serious” ahead of next month’s European clash.
Saint-Etienne boss
Claude Puel admitted the forward was simply too quick for the 34-year-old
Perrin.
“I hope it’s a
minor injury for Kylian. The intention was to play the ball but it’s true that
he was too fast,” said Puel.