Kylian Mbappe has been reinstated into Paris St Germain’s first team, just a day after his surprising omission from the Ligue 1 season opener against Lorient. This decision comes after weeks of tension due to an ongoing contract stand-off that saw the player reportedly frozen out of the main squad.

The defending champions, PSG, kicked off their title defense against Lorient at their home ground, with Mbappe spectating the goalless draw alongside the newly acquired World Cup winner, Ousmane Dembele. The latter completed his transfer to the Parisian club earlier on the same day.

The relationship between Mbappe and PSG has been strained ever since the French captain announced his decision not to renew his contract, which is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, potentially allowing him to depart Paris on a free transfer.

In an optimistic development, PSG stated, “Following very constructive, positive talks between PSG and Kylian Mbappe before the game vs Lorient, the player has been reinstated into the first-team training squad this morning.”

Mbappe, at the age of 24, was conspicuously absent from PSG’s squad during last month’s pre-season tour of Asia. Speculation has been rife about several players leaving Parc des Princes during the ongoing transfer window, which is slated to close on September 1.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG, made it clear that the club would not allow Mbappe to depart on a free transfer, especially after a significant investment of 180 million euros ($196.99 million) in signing him.

Manager Luis Enrique expressed hope for an amicable resolution to the contract dispute with Mbappe, pointing out that the club has a track record of resolving such issues with the star striker.

It’s worth noting that Mbappe faced a similar situation at the end of the 2021-22 campaign when he was set to leave on a free transfer. However, he ultimately signed a contract extension after PSG turned down a bid from Real Madrid.

Looking ahead, PSG is scheduled to face Toulouse in their upcoming Ligue 1 match on Saturday, where fans and pundits alike will be closely watching Mbappe’s performance and the overall dynamics within the team.