Lille’s Ethan Mbappé reacts as ‘dream’ of facing brother Kylian in the Champions League dissipates

The Mbappé reunion was on, then off, then back on again, and then, finally, off. Kylian (25) and Ethan (17) Mbappé both spent last year at Paris Saint-Germain. The former spent seven years at the club following a move from AS Monaco but left to join Real Madrid following the expiry of his contract, whilst the latter left PSG, his formative club, also on a free, without ever having signed a professional deal. He joined Ligue 1 rivals Lille OSC.

Whilst the two brothers now compete in different leagues in different countries, the UEFA Champions League draw saw them come back together with Real Madrid drawing Lille in the League Phase. However, there were fears that Kylian, who suffered an injury last month, would miss the fixture, set to be held in Lille on Wednesday. 

Ultimately, the France captain has been deemed fit enough to be included in the squad to face LOSC, but Ethan will not be there. As reported by Le Parisien, the PSG academy product has suffered a quadriceps injury that will now rule him out for between two to three months. 

‘My dream of facing my brother in the Champions League is fading into the distance, but it is not disappearing’ – Ethan Mbappé

As a result, his “dream” of facing his brother in the Champions League is over, for now. In a post on Instagram, Ethan confirmed that he would be sidelined for several weeks. “It is a difficult time for me because it is the first time since I started playing football,” he said. 

He added, “Even if I won’t be on the pitch for a period of time, I will continue to support my team and work behind the scenes. My dream of facing my brother in the Champions League is fading into the distance, but it is not disappearing.” The Mbappé reunion will have to wait. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle