PSG's Hakimi sidelined 'for several weeks' with severe ankle injury

This time around it was Paris Saint-Germain who had to deal with a severe injury of one of their players in a match against Bayern Munich.

PSG said on Wednesday that Achraf Hakimi suffered a severe ankle injury on his 27th birthday the previous day from a reckless tackle by Luis Diaz for which the Bayern forward was sent off shortly before half-time.

"Achraf Hakimi has severely sprained his left ankle, which will leave him unavailable for several weeks," the Champions League title holders said in a statement.

PSG not only lost Hakimi, but also star forward Ousmane Dembele, who limped off even earlier after 25 minutes.

Dembele picked up an injury to his left calf and will remain on the sidelines for the next few weeks, PSG said.

The Ballon d'Or winner has been plagued by thigh muscle problems, missed several games earlier in the season but was still in the starting 11.

The incidents came almost on the day four months after Bayern playmaker Jamal Musiala broke his fibula and ankle in a collision with then PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Club World Cup, also just before intermission. Musiala is yet to return.

Hakimi's diagnosis is also bad news for Morocco which hosts the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January and would badly miss one of their most important players.

"Wishing Hakimi a quick return to the pitch," Diaz said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

"It was a night full of emotions. Football always reminds us that in 90 minutes, anything can happen the best and the worst. I was sad not to finish the match with my teammates, but proud of their incredible effort."

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said post-match: “The most important thing is we hope that Hakimi recovers quickly."

He added that Diaz "is an honest lad" and "doesn't want to injure anyone" while also highlighting that "the whole game is played at a high intensity."

PSG coach Luis Enrique agreed that "football is a contact sport" and said "it is a shame for Hakimi."

PSG added that Nuno Mendes has sprained his left knee and will also receive treatment over the next few weeks as a result.