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PSG manager Pochettino sweating over Mbappe fitness for Manchester City clash

Reuters
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: May 04, 2021, 12:49 PM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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Paris St Germain will make a late decision on whether forward Kylian Mbappe will be available to face Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League.

Paris St Germain will make a late decision on whether forward Kylian Mbappe will be available to face Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Monday.

Mbappe, PSG's top scorer this season with 25 goals in Ligue 1 and eight in Europe, missed the 2-1 victory over Lens on Saturday due to a calf injury.

Video footage circulating on social media showed Mbappe limping on his arrival in Manchester for Tuesday's match at the Etihad Stadium, but Pochettino will make his final assessment after the first-team training session.

"We need to assess Kylian, today he's going to start individual training sessions and see if he'll be with the team," Pochettino told a news conference. "It's still one day, we didn't decide and we will see tomorrow."

Having suffered a 2-1 defeat in Paris last week, PSG knows they must score at least twice on Tuesday if they are to stand any chance of heading to their second straight Champions League final.

Pochettino said he will not tweak PSG's formation -- with or without Mbappe -- but emphasized the importance of his team converting their counter-attacking opportunities.

"Tomorrow we must be ready to suffer and then be clinical and aggressive when we get chances," the Argentine coach said.

"They have an advantage and we need to take risks, be brave, plan the game knowing City is a team that can manage different ways to play.

"We need to be clever, believe, and show our quality on the pitch. It will be a battle but we will be ready."