Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique again pulled Kylian Mbappé from a match for the second straight contest. The Spanish tactician replaced the 25-year-old with Randal Kolo Muani, which began a domino effect of drama.
One of the first speculations over the substitution was whether Mbappé picked up an injury during the first half. However, RMC Sport reports that it’s not the case. The French media outlet notes that Mbappé was not injured.
Furthermore, the report states that it was the choice of Enrique that the attacker was pulled from the game. The player did get a slight knock in the first half from a tackle by Guillermo Maripan, but he bounced back and continued playing normally.
After he was substituted, he quickly changed and was caught on camera smiling in the corridors of Stade Louis-II. He then headed to greet the Parisian fans, snapped a few selfies, and finally sat next to his mother in the stands.
Ahead of the second leg against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, this isn’t the momentum the team needs to have heading into the match. It will be interesting to see if Enrique continues to count on the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner for this match.