Major blow for PSG — Hakimi will miss the return leg against Bayern

There were concerns in the Paris Saint-Germain camp when, the night before last, during a duel with Konrad Laimer, Achraf Hakimi grabbed the back of his thigh and went down on the pitch. However, the mood quickly improved as the Moroccan finished the first leg of the Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich on his feet.

But today, the worst possible news arrived. Hakimi will not be able to play in the return leg at the Allianz Arena next Wednesday. When he continued playing the other night, it seemed like it was just cramps, but today’s tests confirmed the issue is more serious.

The Moroccan international has suffered a hamstring injury — a muscle tear — which will keep him out for two and a half to three weeks. Therefore, he will definitely not travel to Germany, but if Paris Saint-Germain advance, he should be expected to feature in the final of Europe’s elite competition. It is clear that his participation in the World Cup is not at risk.

French media report that Hakimi will be replaced in the return leg at the Allianz Arena by Warren Zaire-Emery, who is naturally a midfielder and started the spectacular clash against Bayern in his usual position.

This season, the 20-year-old has played nearly half of his 30 Ligue 1 matches as a right-back, while in the Champions League he covered that role in late 2025 and early 2026 in matches against Tottenham Hotspur, Athletic Bilbao, and Sporting.

How big of a blow this is for PSG is best illustrated by the fact that Hakimi finished sixth in last year’s Ballon d'Or voting, has been for years one of the best — if not the best — right-backs in the world, and this season in the Champions League has one goal and as many as seven assists in 12 appearances.