Marco Verratti suffered an injury that has Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Tuchel concerned ahead of the Champions League clash with Atalanta. The ex-Dortmund coach said:
We’re worried because he took a nasty hit. It’s a big injury,” he told a news conference. “Now we will wait. I don’t know exactly today’s diagnosis, I have to talk with the doctor. But we are worried
Verratti missed PSG’s 1-0 friendly win over Sochaux on Wednesday after hurting his calf in training, casting doubt over his fitness for the Champions League quarter-final on 12 August.
The French champions may also be without Kylian Mbappe for the clash in Lisbon. The youngster suffered an ankle injury in the Coupe de France final after a horrendous challenge from Saint Etienne’s Loic Perrin. However, his boss has confirmed that he could still play a part. Speaking to BeIN Sports, Tuchel said: “Kylian Mbappe will meet with Paris Saint Germain’s medical team before a decision is made on whether he will be on the bench to face Atalanta in the Champions League.”
If Verratti is to miss out through injury, his absence will be a big blow for PSG against their free-scoring opponents. One player certain to miss the game in Bergamo is Angel Di Maria, with the Argentine serving a one-match suspension.
Neymar’s importance on the day might just have gone up a notch due to the possible absence of his partners in crime. These are the kind of games that PSG splashed out €222m for and he has to deliver on the grandest stage.
On the other hand, Atalanta may have notable absentees of their own. The involvement of Josip Ilicic is still highly uncertain after the recent scandal that hit his marriage. The Slovenian scored five goals across two legs against Valencia in the last round and will be highly missed if he doesn’t feature.
Nonetheless, the game should be exciting as two of Europe’s finest teams go head to head for a place in the quarter-finals of this year’s UEFA Champions League.
