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Difficulties lie ahead for the Paris Saint Germain (PSG) camp, as superstars Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi may be out of contention for the clash against Bayern Munich, leaving only Neymar to lead the line.
Lionel Messi suffered a hamstring overload and was absent from the squad during their previous fixture. To add to their worries, star forward Kylian Mbappe also sustained a hamstring injury and has been out of action recently. However, both players have been included in the squad and it remains to be seen if they will feature against Bayern on February 14.
Given these uncertainties, it will be left to Neymar to provide the attacking thrust against the Bavarians, and the Brazilian superstar may have to make do without his fellow stars. His performance in PSG's 3-1 defeat to Monaco was lackluster and he will be hoping for a better showing in the Champions League.
It was reported that he had an altercation with teammates Vitinha and Hugo Ekitike after the match, as both players struggled to feed him the ball and create chances. The forward also had an argument with PSG sporting director Luis Campos after the game, according to reports.
While the situation has likely put a great deal of strain on the club, they will need Neymar to exceed expectations if they are to see off the threat from the German outfit.
All eyes are on Neymar as a stumbling PSG side face an in-form Bayern Munich
In a press conference ahead of the first-leg tie against Bayern, Neymar downplayed the incident after the Monaco loss, stating (via IndianExpress):
“Yes there was a discussion, we didn’t agree with what we heard. But these things happen. Football isn’t just about love and friendship."
PSG have been in poor form since the World Cup, having lost four games in that period. These include a loss to their rivals Marseille, which eliminated from the Coupe de France, and a 3-1 defeat to Monaco in Ligue 1. This is a difficult time for the team and they will be hoping to turn things around against Bayern.
