When Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier substituted Kylian Mbappe during the late stages of its 2-1 Ligue 1 away win over Lorient, there were concerns about the young striker.

The Frenchman was replaced by Pablo Sarabia minutes after Danilo Pereira provided PSG with the 2-1 lead in the contest.

It was observed that Mbappe spoke with the team’s medical staff on the bench before he walked into the locker room some minutes before the final whistle blew.

Speaking to L’Equipe after the match, Galtier downplayed any concern over a notable injury for Mbappe. He revealed that the French forward is dealing with “muscle fatigue” late in the first half of the season.

He said this should bring no worry ahead of the World Cup, which is a few words away. 

The tactician added that there is no alert on a specific area as its fatigue is linked to the sequence of matches. 

The coach said the playing conditions were difficult, and the ground was also hard to master technically.

“And then we faced an opponent who played hard and gave us problems in the second half. He came out tired in the game against Juventus on Wednesday night. It is a hectic schedule. There can be some apprehension. Everyone listens to his body in this pre-World Cup and pre-list period.”

PSG has a match to play before the 2022 FIFA World Cup starts. The Ligue 1 champion will meet AJ Auxerre for a Ligue 1 home fixture next week. 

In a related development, Lionel Messi, who has been out of action due to an inflamed Achilles tendon, is expected to be available for the World Cup as the injury is only minor.

It remains to be seen how Messi will perform in his fifth and final World Cup.

Written by Oladipupo Mojeed