"I was not made aware" - PSG superstar speaks out on losing the vice-captaincy to Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Presnel Kimpembe has stated that he was unaware of Kylian Mbappe being made the club's vice-captain.

Mbappe wore the captain's armband and led the Parisians to a 7-0 thrashing of US Pays de Cassel in the Round of 32 of the Coupe de France earlier this week. The Frenchman is now viewed as vice-captain to skipper Marquinhos, who was rested for the contest.

This led to reports suggesting that the club held discussions before removing Presnel Kimpembe from the vice-captaincy and handing it over to Kylian Mbappe. However, Kimpembe has now refuted those claims and said (as quoted by Get French Football News):

“Over the past few hours, I have been able to hear and read a lot about myself. Therefore, I wish to make things clear to avoid spreading false information about me. I was not made aware of this decision, this is completely false…

“That said, I will always respect the decisions of the club.”

The French defender, a product of PSG's academy, has notably struggled with injury issues this term. He began the season as their starting centre-back, but has missed 11 of their 19 Ligue 1 matches due to calf and hamstring injuries and problems with his Achilles tendon.

The latter problem also saw him miss out on a spot in France's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.

Presnel Kimpembe's return date remains unknown. He has made 11 appearances across all competitions for the Parisians this season, helping them record five clean sheets.

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Kylian Mbappe set a PSG record in US Pays de Cassel clash

In his first start as PSG's skipper, Kylian Mbappe set the stage alight against US Pays de Cassel.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner scored a first-half hat-trick and added two more goals after the interval in the Parisians' 7-0 win over the sixth-tier side. He also assisted Neymar Jr., who enjoyed a brilliant game himself with a goal and two assists, in the first half.

In the process, Mbappe became the first player in the French giants' history to score five times in an official game. He also took his goal tally since the conclusion of last winter's World Cup to six goals from four matches.

Overall, Kylian Mbappe has recorded 25 goals and six assists in 24 matches across all competitions for PSG this season.