Mbappe out for PSG

Kylian Mbappé will not be involved in Paris Saint-Germain’s Ligue 1 opener against Lorient at the Parc des Princes on Saturday, sources have told ESPN.

The 2018 World Cup winner has not trained with the first-team squad under new manager Luis Enrique amid a contract dispute with the club.

According to ESPN sources, Mbappé could miss every PSG game in August against Lorient, Toulouse and Lens as punishment.

Mbappé recently told PSG that he would not extend his contract and planned to leave the club on a free transfer in June 2024.

The France international was then left out of PSG’s preseason tour of Japan, with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi demanding he either agree to a new deal beyond June 2024 or accept a departure this summer.

The forward has been made to train with the “unwanted” players on their way out of PSG which include Leandro Paredes, Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler.

Al Hilal are the only club to have made a formal bid for Mbappé, but in the event of a move, he is only interested in joining Real Madrid.

Madrid have been tracking Mbappé for over a decade and tried to sign him in each of the past two summer transfer windows.

Sources have told ESPN that some at PSG are willing to freeze Mbappé out of the first team for the whole season unless he extends his deal, but the player will not change his mind. (ESPN)