Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel confirmed that Kylian Mbappe, who suffered an ankle injury last month, will be available when the Parisians face off with Atalanta in the Final Eight of the Champions League on Wednesday. The Frenchman though will be coming off the bench.
Earlier, Tuchel had admitted that Mbappe joining the squad in Lisbon would be next to impossible but the PSG ace traveled with the team and will reportedly train before the UCL clash. If the striker will prove fit for the match, he will see action on the pitch, the German boss said.
"We are very happy that he is with the group and that we can have the possibility of finishing the match with him," Goal reported Tuchel as saying.
Mbappe hurt his ankle during the showdown for the Coupe de France title, which PSG had won. It was initially thought that the 21-year-old will be out for the remaining games of the French side but Tuchel now sounded more optimistic that the star will be on hand to make sure the team plays deeper into the competition.
The German indicated that "if nothing extraordinary happens," during training, he is sure to deploy the Frenchman on the pitch.
With the prospect of PSG unable to tap Mbappe for the UCL game against Atalanta looming before the team headed to Portugal, Tuchel has to rely on other roster members to step up. In particular, he sees Mauro Icardi shining in Mbappe's absence.
The Argentine forward is highly reliable both on offense and defense and is always ready to score, according to the German coach.
The main man, however, that Tuchel will depend on is Neymar, and Tuchel said the Brazilian star is hardwired to handle the pressure.
"Neymar is decisive in big matches and I am convinced that he can be the key man for us. He has the quality necessary for this kind of situation," ESPN reported the PSG boss as saying.
Mbappe on the bench though is seen to ease the pressure off Neymar but Tuchel is convinced that the South American is prepared to handle the situation where his younger teammate will be unable to play. But it is a good thing that Mbappe is ready to play because the two stars do great things when on the pitch at the same time, the team manager said.
PSG will certainly miss out if Mbappe is not around for the Lisbon game. The World Cup winner played 34 games in all competition for Tuchel's side last season and scored 30 goals, and complemented that with 18 assists. Such performance will prove crucial as the Parisians attempt to win their first Champions League title.
