Bayern Forward Choupo-Moting a Doubt for Man City Game

28 January 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gestures on the pitch during the German Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. (dpa)
28 January 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gestures on the pitch during the German Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. (dpa)
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Bayern Forward Choupo-Moting a Doubt for Man City Game

28 January 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gestures on the pitch during the German Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. (dpa)
28 January 2023, Bavaria, Munich: Munich's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gestures on the pitch during the German Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt at Allianz Arena. (dpa)

Bayern Munich forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will miss Saturday's league game against Freiburg with a knee problem and is a doubt for the Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Manchester City next week, coach Thomas Tuchel said Friday.

Tuchel said the 34-year-old Cameroon striker would not travel to Freiburg and would undergo treatment. “The time is tight” for him to recover ahead of the match at City on Tuesday, the coach added.

Choupo-Moting was best known as a backup for Robert Lewandowski until this season but has come into his own since the Poland forward left for Barcelona in July.

He has 17 goals in 28 games for Bayern this season and four in six in the Champions League, including one against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

He went off after 64 minutes of the 2-1 loss to Freiburg in the German Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Serge Gnabry, Sadio Mané and Thomas Müller are candidates to replace Choupo-Moting ahead of Tuchel's first European game since he replaced Julian Nagelsmann last month.

Also out against Freiburg is 17-year-old forward Mathys Tel, who has played 21 times for Bayern this season, mostly off the bench. Defender Dayot Upamecano misses the game through suspension after picking up too many yellow cards.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Lucas Hernandez remain longer-term injury absentees.



Kvaratskhelia in Paris for Medical Ahead of Expected Deal with PSG

Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
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Kvaratskhelia in Paris for Medical Ahead of Expected Deal with PSG

Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)
Football - Serie A - AC Milan v Napoli - San Siro, Milan, Italy - October 29, 2024 Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates scoring their second goal. (Reuters)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was set to undergo a medical with Paris Saint-Germain on Friday ahead of his expected transfer to the 12-time French champions.

French media including L'Equipe and RMC reported that the 23-year-old Georgia forward plans to sign a contract upon completion of the medical.

On Thursday, Kvaratskhelia posted a farewell video to Napoli fans, who had affectionately nicknamed him “Kvaradona” in homage to late Argentina legend Diego Maradona, the club’s greatest-ever player.

Kvaratskhelia starred in Napoli’s Serie A title-winning team in 2023.

Napoli coach Antonio Conte confirmed last Saturday that Kvaratskhelia requested a move.

PSG lost Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid in the offseason and adding a dynamic player like Kvaratskhelia would provide some punch to its attack. He's both a scorer and skillful provider with speed and dribbling ability.

He scored 30 goals in 107 games overall for Napoli and had great chemistry with striker Victor Osimhen during the title-winning campaign — which ended a 33-year wait for the Serie A title, with Maradona starring in that 1990 team.