The situation regarding the status of Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé is officially worrisome.
For the second consecutive day, Mbappé was absent from training due to illness. According to Le Parisien, the FIFA World Cup winner is at home trying to recover from a sore throat and fever.
Even if Mbappé recovers this afternoon, it’s unlikely that he will be 100 percent heading into the UEFA Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes. That would put manager Thomas Tuchel in a very difficult position. Does he start Mbappé and risk him having to come off early due to health or a severe dip in form, or, does he bring him off the bench in the second half as a super-sub? Given how much Mbappé hates to not play, I would say that if he wants to start, he’s going to start.
Let’s assume Mbappé does come off the bench. Who would replace him in the starting lineup? The ideal candidate would be Pablo Sarabia, who has been in fantastic form since the calendar turned to 2020. He would likely join Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria, and Neymar Jr. to form a potent attacking foursome that will be tasked with leading the come back against Dortmund who holds a 2-1 advantage in the tie.
Hopefully, Mbappé can mount a miraculous recovery today and emulate Michael Jordan’s performance in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, often dubbed the “Flu Game.” Jordan battled flulike symptoms and led the Chicago Bulls to victory where he scored 38 points and was on the verge of passing out afterward. You can be sick at any time. The knockout stage of the Champions League only comes around once a year.
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