PSG boss pleased to see Mbappe, Messi and Neymar sign off before World Cup unscathed

Trio all played part in Parisians' 5-0 rout of Auxerre before joining up with their respective countries for Qatar 2022

Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring the first goal in the 5-0 Ligue 1 victory against Auxerre at the Parc des Princes on November 13, 2022. AFP

Mbappe celebrates with Nuno Mendes after opening the scoring. AFP

PSG's Lionel Messi reacts after missing a scoring chance. AP

Lionel Messi fights for the ball with Auxerre's Julian Jeanvier. AFP

PSG's Kylian Mbappe challenges for the ball with Auxerre's Jubal and Paul Joly. AP

Carlos Soler celebrates are scoring PSG's second goal. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi celebrates with teammates after scoring the third goal. AFP

Paris Saint-Germain's Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches celebrates scoring the fourth goal. AFP

Forward Hugo Ekitike celebrates scoring PSG's fifth goal. AFP

Kylian Mbappe scored in Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 rout of Auxerre on Sunday as he prepares to join up with the France squad looking to defend their World Cup title in Qatar.

The 23-year-old came through the match – won 5-0 by PSG – unscathed alongside fellow superstar forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The news was less good for Morocco's World Cup hopes as Marseille striker Amine Harit was carried off after injuring a knee in his side's 3-2 win over Monaco in the evening in the last Ligue 1 game before the break.

PSG coach Christophe Galtier opted not to rest the attacking trio against the Burgundy side as the French champions sought to extend their lead at the top of the table before the break for the tournament in Qatar.

"None of my players had sent me a signal of fear," said Galtier.

"My obsession was that my team could express themselves as freely as possible without the psychosis of an injury.

"The players responded ... It would have been a great sadness for me if one of my players were injured before the World Cup and I quickly made the changes to spare each of them."

Mbappe scored the opener after 11 minutes in Paris for his 12th league goal this season after good work by Messi and two other World Cup bound players – Moroccan Achraf Hakimi and Portuguese Nuno Mendes.

Spain's Carlos Soler nodded in the second after 51 minutes and then set up Hakimi for the third six minutes later. Two players who are not going to Qatar, Renato Sanches and Hugo Ekitike came off the bench and added goals in the final 10 minutes.

The Parisians moved five points ahead of Lens, who won 2-1 at home against Clermont on Saturday, with Rennes a further five points adrift in third.

Galtier gave some playing time to France defender Presnel Kimpembe, who came on for the final quarter of an hour having spent a month out with an Achilles tendon injury.

In Monaco, Harit was carried off on a stretcher after injuring a knee in the 58th minute.

"From what we know, it's a very big injury," said Marseille coach, Igor Tudor. "He got injured just before the World Cup, we talked about it all week. I am very sad".

Harit's replacement, veteran Dimitri Payet, played a crucial role as Marseille came from 2-1 down. Bosnian defender Saed Kolasinac headed in Payet's free kick eight minutes into added time.

The win lifts Marseille into fourth while Monaco stay sixth, one point ahead of Lille who beat bottom side Angers 1-0.

Also down at the bottom, Brest beat Troyes 2-1 while Nantes came from two goals down for a 2-2 draw at home against Ajaccio.