By Tom Victor
Kylian Mbappe once again failed to complete a full 90 minutes for Paris Saint-Germain, with manager Luis Enrique withdrawing the forward at the break against Monaco.
Mbappe, who joined PSG from Monaco back in 2017, is nearing the end of his time at the Parc des Princes. His summer move to Real Madrid is expected to be formally announced only when the two teams are no longer able to meet in the Champions League, with the player understood to have told his team-mates and PSG's higher-ups of his plans.
The 25-year-old had scored five goals in his first six games of 2024, only to make way early against Rennes at the end of February. His replacement that day, Goncalo Ramos, rescued a point for PSG with a last-gasp equaliser from the penalty spot.
Mbappe and Ramos both started the Monaco trip, though neither finished the game. Ramos was withdrawn for Ousmane Dembele around an hour into the game, but Mbappe's departure came far earlier.
“It was 100% the coach’s decision," Luis Enrique said when quizzed on the substitution, as translated by Get French Football News. The forward, who had earlier looked to be in pain after a challenge with Monaco's Guillermo Maripan, sat with his mother in the stands following the early withdrawal rather than joining his colleagues.
"Sooner or later we will have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappe," the manager added. "It is my decision and one that I take with the objective of doing the best for the team.
“I’m not going to enter into this game," he said when asked by a further reporter about Mbappe. "I’m a professional. I don’t have a problem. It’s just a question of management and how best to manage the squad."
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PSG created their fair share of chances at Stade Louis II on Friday, but couldn't find a way past Monaco goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki. It is the first time they have gone two games without victory in the league since back in August, when they began the campaign with draws against Lorient and Toulouse.
Despite the slip-up, Luis Enrique's side remain 12 points clear at the top of the table. That gap could fall to nine by the end of the weekend if second-place Brest are able to beat struggling Le Havre at home.
Mbappe hasn't completed a full 90 for PSG since mid-February, when he scored in the Champions League round of 16 first leg victory over Real Sociedad. The return leg in San Sebastian is the French champions' next match, on Tuesday night.
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