Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann was at a press conference on Friday 48 hours before his team’s trip to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga.
Eleven days before the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, the German and French media are already focused on this clash at the top. Kylian Mbappé’s injury is obviously on everyone’s mind, but Julian Nagelsmann is ready to bet on a bluff from the Parisian leaders. For the German coach, the striker of the France team will be present on the lawn of the Parc des Princes on February 14. “I don’t think he will be out. I don’t expect anything else. I don’t know what he has. It’s relatively vague on the (PSG) website. I can’t imagine him being absent. Of course they can play poker”told the Bayern Munich coach to the media.
Can PSG bluff?
In the German ranks, we are wary of this premature announcement about Mbappé. In his press release, the champion of France speaks however indeed of a potential absence of three weeks for his star striker, victim Wednesday evening in Montpellier (3-1 victory of PSG) of a lesion of the left thigh. If this kind of bluff has already been seen in the past before a big European match, the injury of the Parisian striker does not seem trivial. Mbappé was limping low on Wednesday evening in the corridors of the Mosson and seemed to be in serious pain.
💬 @J__Nagelsmann zu Sadio #Mane: “Ich erwarte ihn Mitte oder Ende Februar zurück. Es sieht gut aus, er hat keine Schmerzen mehr. Aber gegen Paris wird er im Hinspiel fehlen.” pic.twitter.com/ZpMCedg0At
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) February 3, 2023
Mané package in Paris
Julian Nagelsmann then made an announcement regarding Sadio Mané, who is starting to touch the ball after being sidelined for almost three months. “I expect him back in mid-February or late February. It’s looking good, he’s no longer in pain. But against Paris he will miss the first leg“, he assured.