Kylian Mbappe injury latest: PSG star not in starting XI for Champions League clash vs. Atalanta
Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel told reporters on Tuesday that French forward Kylian Mbappe could be available for his team for their upcoming Champions League clash against Atalanta. On Wednesday, the team sheet revealed that PSG's season leader in goals would be on the bench to start the match (stream on CBS All Access).
The key response from Tuchel that hints at Mbappe's return is the following: "If he has a good training session today and nothing extraordinary happens, he will be with the team tomorrow."
Mbappe was on the wrong end of a horror tackle in the Coupe de France final win over Saint-Etienne on July 24. He was helped off the pitch at the time and returned to the bench of that very same game in crutches. Wednesday's Champions League game was supposed to be out of the question given his initial time table.
It appeared that his recovery has been going better than expected on Tuesday. Images from PSG's practice sessions show Mbappe training alongside his teammates prior to their match against Atalanta in Germany.
Tuchel noted that Mbappe's role in the game would most likely be to close out the match as a substitute, something that he followed through on with Wednesday's team announcement.
"We are really pleased to have the possibility of finishing the match with Kylian on the pitch," said Tuchel, per the BBC.
Mbappe has scored 30 goals and registered 18 assists in 34 games in all competitions for PSG this season, beating out fellow attacking powerhouses Mauro Icardi and Neymar. While he won't be on the pitch for the full 90 minutes, the threat of his presence alone will help alleviate some of the pressure on Neymar to take the offensive reigns.
