'Ask Valverde if it's easy to play a game with Messi or Allegri if it's easy playing without Ronaldo': Mbappe on Neymar's absence
What's the story?
Paris Saint-Germain and France star Kylian Mbappe has opened up about the untimely injury of his Brazilian teammate Neymar and the effect it had on the Ligue 1 champions' loss to Lyon on Monday.
In case you didn't know...
The table-toppers suffered their first defeat in the French top-flight at the hands of Lyon in the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on the weekend.
Moussa Dembele and Nabil Fekir cancelled out Angel di Maria's 7th-minute opener to help their team become the first to defeat the defending champions in the league.
Thomas Tuchel's side was without star talisman Neymar, who suffered a metatarsal injury in his side's game against Strasbourg in the French Cup.
The Brazilian has been ruled out for up to two and a half months which means that he will probably miss the much-awaited Champions League clash against a revived Manchester United side.
The heart of the matter
Despite the injury and their recent defeat, World Cup star Mbappe believes that there is no reason to panic ahead of their Champions League showdown.
While the Frenchman accepts that it won't be easy to play without "best in the world" Neymar, he believes that it is up to the team to learn from the defeat and try not to lose again.
According to Calciomercato, Mbappe said,
"Playing without Neymar? Well it surely isn't easy since Neymar is one of the best players in the World. Every defender fears playing against him so it is a big loss for us at the moment.
Ask Valverde if it's easy to play a game with Lionel Messi or ask Max Allegri if it's easy playing without Cristiano Ronaldo. These are players that change games every time they step on the pitch. We certainly miss Neymar but we have to accept the situation and look forward."
What's next?
Despite the loss, PSG still hold a ten-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table. The side will next face Villefranche in the French Cup on Wednesday.
The much-awaited Champions League fixture against United will take place on February 13.