UCL 2022-23: Will Sadio Mane be back for Bayern Munich for pre-quarters vs PSG? Julian Nagelsmann reveals

Senegalese striker Sadio Mane suffered an unfortunate fibula injury that forced him to miss out for his nation during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. While he has been recovering with his German club Bayern Munich, a quick return date is not on the horizon. The Bavarians are all set to take on French champion Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2022-23 pre-quarters next month and would be desperately hoping for his return by that time. In the meantime, Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that while the Senegalese would miss out on the opening leg in Paris, he would be back for the return leg.

During a presser in Doha on Thursday, ahead of Friday's friendly against Salzburg before Bundesliga resumption, Nagelsmann reported, "He's [Mane] an important player. If everything goes well, then it could be the case that he returns in time for PSG. We will see how he reacts to the workload. I'm not yet considering him for the first leg."

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Mane joined Bayern earlier this season following an immensely successful career with English giants Liverpool for six seasons. With the Bavarians, he has made a decisive impact, scoring 11 goals in 23 appearances across tournaments, besides winning the DFL-Supercup. No wonder Nagelsmann would desperately hope for his return against PSG in the second leg at Allianz Arena.

Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt would also be missing out against Salzburg with an ankle injury, while new signing and fellow national defender Daily Blind looks set to appear. "He will play tomorrow. He still needs some time because the training intensity is a bit higher. You can tell he has a lot of experience and looks confident on the ball. He will be the player we imagined he'd be," concluded Nagelsmann, reports FotMob.