Ziyech transfer failure leaves PSG crippled as Mbappe limps out

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 2 Feb 2023 07:59 GMT
• 3 min read

It took Paris Saint-Germain less than 24 hours to start paying a dear price for missing out on Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech – and with Kylian Mbappe suffering an injury in Wednesday’s Ligue 1 clash against Montpellier, they could be footing the bill for some weeks over their most important period of the season.

The Morocco international was in PSG’s offices on transfer Deadline Day and had fully expected to make a loan move to France’s league leaders from the Blues, yet the move collapsed as the Premier League club failed to send through the correct documents on THREE occasions.

MORE: Chelsea blame PSG for Ziyech transfer collapse

After an appeal from PSG, it was confirmed on Wednesday that the deal had collapse – leaving the French club furious and Ziyech reportedly incandescent.

The upshot of this is that it has left the Parisians’ attack woefully short of experienced depth following the departure of Pablo Sarabia to Wolves.

MORE: Chelsea face Champions League registration problem

Mbappe suffers injury

And after Mbappe suffered an apparent hamstring injury on Wednesday 20 minutes into the game against Montpellier, it is entirely possible that PSG are forced to lean on young talent in the busiest and most pivotal period of the campaign.

Mbappe, who saw a penalty saved early in the midweek trip, has yet to have the severity of his problem assessed, but if he were to miss the rest of February, it would see him miss a string of important matches.

Thankfully for PSG, this appears the worst-case scenario.

"It doesn't seem very serious. On what we saw at half-time and what we said to each other, there is not too much worry," Galtier said.

"Kylian took a blow behind the knee and on the muscle. Is it a contusion, a hematoma. We don't know yet. With the sequence of matches, we prefer not to take any risks."

After the forthcoming match with Toulouse on Saturday, Christophe Galtier’s side face Monaco, Lille and Marseille in Ligue 1 action this week, while they will also face OM in the Coupe de France next Wednesday. And on top of this, they will tackle Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Valentine’s Day.

Huge Ekitike, a 20-year-old forward, is now PSG’s only cover for Mbappe at centre forward. The on-loan Reims player is a useful prospect but has only four goals for the season. He is no Mbappe.

Ziyech would have been a precious additional option for Galtier to fall back on at this stage, so Chelsea’s failure to produce the administrative goods will be all the more frustrating to those in Paris, who are set to be left shorthanded just when they can least afford it.