Kylian Mbappe has showed his support for Neymar Jr. through his social media handle, after his Paris Saint-Germain teammate was stretchered-off against LOSC Lille over the weekend. PSG defeated Lille in a thrilling 4-3 encounter in Ligue 1 to end their dismal three-game losing streak in all competitions. While Kylian Mbappe scored a brace, Neymar and Lionel Messi were on the scoresheet as well with each scoring a goal.
Unfortunately, the game caused Les Parisiens manager Christophe Galtier greater problems since it added to his already long list of injuries. Neymar was stretchered off in the 51st minute after injuring his ankle. The set-back came after left-back Nuno Mendes had to be replaced earlier in the game due to a knee injury.
Kylian Mbappe shows his support to Neymar amidst rift rumours
Kylian Mbappe has sympathised with Neymar on social media in the interim following the Brazilian’s injury. The Frenchman wished his attacking partner a speedy recovery in spite of persistent allegations that there was a fallout between them. The two had been constantly making headlines during PSG’s games as rumours claimed that there were differences brewing between them.
However, Mbappe seems to have slashed all the rumours and reports by sharing a heartwarming, ‘strong’ message for his fellow teammate who could now spend a lengthy time on the sidelines as a result of the ankle injury suffered. But Mbappe has backed his fellow teammate to come back stronger following the horrible injury. On his Instagram story, the 2018 World Cup winner stated:
“Stay strong Neymar Jr. All the team waiting for you very soon. Let’s go bro.”
As per the latest reports, the Brazilian international has subsequently had an MRI scan and doesn’t seem to have broken anything. However, additional tests will be performed to determine the severity of the injury, the club said in a statement. Meanwhile, Neymar too shared Kylian Mbappe’s Instagram story and thanked the 24-year-old for his encouragement.
In light of a string of crucial games for PSG, Galtier will now be concerned about the fitness of the 31-year-old. The Parisians will next clash with Ligue 1 title challengers Olympique Marseille on Sunday February 26. The French giants will then play Nantes in the league before returning to action in the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich. The second leg of their Round of 16 matchup will take place on March 8, as PSG face an uphill task of turning a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
Galtier and his men run the risk of being eliminated from the European competition after suffering a 1-0 loss in the first leg at home as they’ll be hoping Neymar can get back to 100% before their trip to Munich. However, it is worth remembering that for their encounter against Lille, the Parisians were also missing Achraf Hakimi, Nordi Mukiele, and Renato Sanches due to injuries.
PSG have been in a slump since the beginning of the year, but they still lead the Ligue 1 standings. Moreover, they have only won six of their 12 games in all competitions this year. In several of those games, Kylian Mbappe’s absence had a significant impact on them. Four of their previous losses have arrived without the 23-year-old being named in their starting lineup. Kylian Mbappe’s availability will play a crucial role in the team’s efforts to reverse the outcome against Bayern.