PSG defender Nordi Mukiele ruled out for the rest of the season

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that defender Nordi Mukiele will miss the rest of the season due to a serious hamstring injury.

The right-sided defender picked up the knock in the 36th minute of Les Parisiens’ 2-0 Champions League last-16 second leg defeat to Bayern Munich before being replaced by Marquinhos.

The Frenchman has not featured for PSG since, and the club have now confirmed he will sit out the remainder of the campaign after the medical staff opted for an operation to prevent a recurrence.

The surgery has been scheduled to take place in Finland, leaving Christophe Galtier’s squad, which was guilty of lacking depth, even thinner.

Achraf Hakimi will soldier on in the wing-back role in Mukiele’s absence, with youngster Timothee Pembele as his understudy.

PSG also confirmed that Renato Sanches will spend at least three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a blow to his right adductor.

Mukiele joined the French champions from RB Leipzig last summer and has proven good value for money since, making 25 appearances in all competitions while contributing three assists.

The France international has been one of the bright sparks in PSG’s rather bleak campaign, where they have been thwarted at every turn.

A 2-1 defeat to Ligue 1 title rivals Olympique Marseille saw them exit the Coupe de France tournament in the round of 16.

Their hopes of winning the elusive Champions League trophy also ended in the last 16 phase, where they were comprehensively beaten by familiar foes Bayern over the two-legged tie.

Defending their league crown is all that is left for the French giants to fight for this season, although they began the campaign with a Trophee des Champions win over Nantes.

However, having lost two of their last four games, their aspirations hang by a thread as just six points separate them from overachievers RC Lens in second place with eight games to play.

PSG will face Lens at the weekend in a top-of-the-table clash, and the under-fire Galtier will hope his depleted squad can deliver the goods against Frank Haise’s relentless side.