Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann said on Friday he expected Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe to play against them in their Champions League round-of-16 first-leg tie on Feb. 14 despite having been ruled out with an injury for three weeks.
PSG said on Thursday Mbappe would be out for three weeks after sustaining a thigh injury. The 24-year-old had limped off during the first half of PSG’s 3-1 win at Montpellier on Wednesday.
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“I don’t think he will be missing [against Bayern] so I expect nothing else,” Nagelsmann told a news conference. “I don’t know what he has so I assume he will play. It is a bit vague on their [PSG’s] homepage saying he would be out for up to three weeks.”
Mbappe is joint top scorer in the Champions League with seven goals, and second in Ligue 1 with 13 in nine matches played.
“If there is no structural injury I can’t see him missing the game,” Nagelsmann said. “It is too early to say already now that he won’t play if there is no structural injury.”
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He said the fact that there was no specific injury named could be part of a plan by the French club.
Bayern, top of the Bundesliga with a one-point lead, will host PSG on March 8 in the return leg.
PSG are due to play five matches from Feb. 4-19, with the France international also set to miss their French Cup last-16 game against Marseille.
