Paris Saint-Germain star striker Kylian Mbappé took to social media on Monday night to defend teammate Idrissa Gana Gueye who injured him during a training session ahead of the side’s crunch Champions League match against Real Madrid.
Gueye's tackle on Mbappé on Monday afternoon left the forward reeling on the deck.
Frantic PSG physios and medics feared a fractured left foot and rushed the 23-year-old to the nearby Hopital Americain for emergency tests. Initial scans failed to reveal a fracture but Mbappé’s participation in the second leg on Wednesday night was thrown into question
As images from the training ground emerged, Gueye came under fire on social media from PSG fans for the ferocity of the tackle.
But Mbappé published a picture on his Instagram account of the two players celebrating together on the pitch and called on supporters to quell the criticism.
“All together, always, this is Paris," said Mbappé.
Broadcaster Jerome Rothen, a former PSG midfielder, said he had received messages on social media lambasting Gueye.
"You can't blame Gueye and take it out on him," Rothen told RMC.
"Gueye wants to get the ball back and it's a very clumsy gesture certainly. In a match, it would be borderline red card - he goes in with a lot of force but we can't blame him, it happens all the time.
"Those who criticise Gueye are the same ones who criticise the lack of investment, rhythm and intensity in training. It's good that Gueye wants to earn his place in the starting line-up. "
On Monday night following more scans, PSG doctors said they were more hopeful that Mbappé could feature in the game on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mbappé, who has been linked with a move to Madrid at the end of the season, scored the only goal of the game during the first leg at the Parc des Princes on 15 February.
Stars
Even though PSG boast Lionel Messi, a seven-time winner of the Ballon d’Or and Neymar, the world’s most expensive footballer, Mbappé has been the most prolific of the troika.
He did not play at Nice on Saturday night and in his absence PSG lost for only the third time this season in Ligue 1.
Despite the setback, Mauricio Pochettino’s men remain 13 points clear of second-placed Nice with 11 games to play.
Barring the mother of all meltdowns, PSG are expected to lift an eighth domestic top flight title in 10 years.
Quest
However, since the QSI group took control of the club in 2011, they have failed to hoist the Champions League - European club football’s most prestigious trophy - despite investing billions of euros to transform PSG into a glamorous world powerhouse.
Thomas Tuchel led the side to the Champions League final in 2020 but they were beaten by Bayern Munich.
Tuchel was sacked in December 2020 and replaced by Pochettino who took them to the last four of the 2021 tournament.
Ironically, Chelsea, who seized on the unexpectedly free Tuchel, claimed the Champions League for the second time after edging past Manchester City who had dispatched PSG in the semis.
Tuchel has also steered Chelsea to the 2021 European Super Cup and the 2021 Club World Cup - baubles still absent from the PSG trophy cabinet.
