Replaced last night in the 70th minute of the match against Toulouse (2-0), Milan Skriniar (28) was the victim of contact with Vincent Sierro. But when it was time to give way to the Brazilian Lucas Beraldo, the Slovakian did not give the impression of having suffered a serious injury. And yet. The day after Paris’s twelfth Champions Trophy victory, the injury to the former Inter player’s left ankle will force him to remain on the sidelines for a long period.
Skriniar may not play again this season. A huge blow for the capital club which already has to manage several absences in defense (Kimpembe, Mendes), even if, on paper, the Rouge et Bleu have alternatives to the Slovak (Beraldo, Pereira, Mukiele). Which does not prevent the possibility of seeing Paris strengthen its defensive sector this winter. This injury is also very bad news for the main person concerned.
A complicated end to the story with Inter
If he is really forced to stay on the sidelines until the end of the season, Skriniar will miss PSG’s next challenges in the Champions League and its preparation for Euro 2024 (the Slovak is in Group E with Belgium and Romania) risks being called into question. An ordeal therefore for a player who has not really been spared for a year. Indeed, before joining PSG, Skriniar experienced a complicated end to his adventure with Inter. At the time, the native of Žiar nad Hronom was marinating the Nerazzurro club.
Free from any contract in July 2023, Skriniar was regularly announced in Paris. But the Slovak always publicly denied it, ending up cutting himself off from the Lombard supporters, tired of their player’s little game. Going from adored captain to plagued, the Slovak then experienced his first big physical problem with Inter. Hit in the back, the former resident of Sampdoria had to take a step aside on March 14, 2023. Missing from the Serie A fields since February 13, Skriniar returned for the round of 16 of the Champions League against FC Porto . A return that changed nothing. Forced to end his season, the Slovak left Inter through the back door.
After the back, the ankle
In Paris, he thought he had found a smile again. Once the back problem was over, Skriniar was immediately started by Luis Enrique. Positioned alongside Marquinhos, the ex-Interist may well be one of the strong men of the new Parisian coach, his performances and in particular his slowness have not gone unnoticed. And the trouble began. Certainly, the right-hander does not play in his preferred position (left axis), but he has never been able to be reassuring, especially when Paris had to face tough players.
However, injuries to Presnel Kimpembe and Nuno Mendes worked in his favor. Left-handed, Kimpembe would have been a direct competitor if his Achilles tendon had left him alone, while a worry-free return from Mendes would have allowed a certain Lucas Hernandez to be able to enter the rotation of central defenders. In the end, there’s no point asking questions anymore. Almost a year after the start of his back problems, Milan Skriniar returns to the infirmary.
