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Kylian Mbappe endured a tough time during Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 Ligue 1 win against Montpellier on Wednesday (February 1).
The Frenchman saw a penalty saved by Benjamin Lecomte before a retake was ordered, which he also failed to convert. To exacerbate matters, Mbappe soon limped off the pitch clutching his hamstring.
While goals from Fabian Ruiz, Lionel Messi and 16-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery ensured PSG took all three points against La Paillade 3-1, the timing of Mbappe's injury was cause for concern. That's because the Parisians face Bayern Munich in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in less than a fortnight.
Speaking after the Montpellier win, PSG manager Christophe Galtier said that Mbappe's injury is just a knock and nothing too serious. He told Canal+ (via RMC Sport):
"He took a blow to the knee, behind the thigh."
The manager confirmed that the injury isn't a serious one, telling Amazon Prime Video:
"He also has pain in the muscle. We think it's not too serious."
Galtier added that he's not worried about the injury and hinted that the 24-year-old was substituted to not take risks ahead of a busy period. He said (via BBC):
"I'm not too worried. It's a bruise or a contusion; we don't know yet. With the run of matches, we don't want to take risks with a very busy fixture list, but it doesn't appear that serious."
Tha Parisians are five points ahead of second-placed Marseille (46) after 21 Ligue 1 games.
Real Madrid board member hints at future move for Kylian Mbappe
Catalina Minarro, a Real Madrid board member, has confirmed that the club is still interested in acquiring Kylian Mbappe. He added that as long as club president Florentino Perez remains interested in the player, a move for Mbappe remains on the cards.
Los Blancos were linked with a move for the Frenchman a year ago. The transfer, though, didn't materialise, as Mbappe made a late decision to stay in Paris and extend his contract with PSG.
Speaking about Real Madrid's interest in Mbappe, Minarro said (via MD):
“With Florentino, I wouldn’t rule anything out. If he (Mbappe) has to come, and he meets the criteria of the club, he will come. If not, he will not come, and others will.”
The 24-year-old has been in sensational form for PSG this season, scoring 25 goals and providing six assists in 26 games.
