PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the return leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Chelsea because of a thigh tear.
Ibrahimovic, who has scored more than 40 goals this season, is also likely to miss the semifinals later this month if PSG advances. The French club won the first leg 3-1.
Ibrahimovic fell to the ground clutching his leg midway through the second half of Wednesday’s match and then limped off.
PSG said in a statement Friday that tests confirmed “the presence of a muscle lesion” at the back of Ibrahimovic’s right thigh.
“He’s out for the weeks to come. We will have to wait for the doctor to analyze the results,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. “It’s a muscle lesion, delicate but not irreversible. He will be back (in training) with us before too long (and) he will play before the end of the season.”
Ibrahimovic will likely be replaced at centre forward by Edinson Cavani, who has been unhappy playing in a role wide on the right and now has the chance to play in his preferred role for the next few games.
Should PSG qualify next week, it will reach the European Cup semifinals for only the second time. The previous appearance was in 1995, when PSG was knocked out by AC Milan.
