La Semana

Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe Injured as PSG'S Problems Pile Up Despite Win

Paris Saint-germain thrashed Toulouse 4-0 but suffered injuries to star players Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe.

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Paris Saint-germain lost star strikers Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe to injuries on Sunday as the French champions' problems continued to mount despite a 4-0 thrashing of Toulouse.

Thomas Tuchel's men, who lost at Rennes last time out, have seen the start of their season dominated by the Neymar transfer saga.

The Brazilian was once again left out of the matchday squad at the Parc des Princes amid rumours of a move to Real Madrid or return to Barcelona, and Tuchel saw his strikeforc­e totally dismantled as Cavani

and Mbappe both hobbled off -- as did centre-back Abdou Diallo.

Eric Maxim Choupomoti­ng scored a secondhalf double, but only after coming on as a substitute for the injured Cavani, while Mbappe also departed the scene after appearing to pull up with a hamstring injury following a trademark burst into the box.

Mbappe will be out for four weeks and Edinson Cavani for three weeks, the French champions confirmed on Monday.

The injury means Mbappe will miss PSG'S opening Champions League group game, which is set for September 17 or 18. He is also set to sit out three league matches as well as France's Euro 2020 qualifiers at home to Albania and Andorra early next month.

Fellow forward Cavani could be ready in time for the start of their Champions League campaign.

The capital-city giants sit three points behind early Ligue 1 pace-setters Rennes, who made it three wins from three by beating Strasbourg 2-0.

Tuchel responded to last weekend's defeat by making three changes to his starting XI, including dropping captain Thiago Silva to the bench.

Mbappe twice came close to settling any early nerves in the first four minutes, but was denied both times by Toulouse goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet.

With Neymar looking increasing­ly likely to be heading to the exit door, PSG'S woes deepened when they lost another member of their fabled 'MCN' forward line as Cavani left the pitch in the 14th minute to be replaced by the usually much less potent Choupo-moting.

Silva was introduced before half-time as Diallo, a close-season signing from Borussia Dortmund, also broke down injured.

The home side started the second period well, though, and it was Choupo-moting -- whose stint at PSG has so far been best known for a shocking miss last season against Strasbourg -- who turned past one defender, span around another, and drilled the ball into the bottom corner.

Visiting left-back Mathieu Goncalves scored a calamitous 55th-minute own goal by slicing a tame, bouncing ball away from Reynet's gloves and into the roof of the net.

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