Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye reportedly missed his side’s 4-0 win against Montpellier on Saturday because he didn’t want to play in a shirt that had his number in rainbow colours.

Players across France wore the special shirts over the weekend in an expression of solidarity to mark the upcoming International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, on Tuesday May 17.

But the former Everton and Aston Villa player Gueye was absent from the match for what his manager Mauricio Pochettino said ‘were personal reasons, but he is not injured

Now, as reported by French outlet RMC Sport, the reason behind Gueye’s omission is that he didn’t want to wear a shirt with rainbow colours.

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They also add that Gueye missed the equivalent commemorative match on the same weekend last year for what PSG said was gastroenteritis.

Sportsmail has contacted Gueye’s representatives for comment.

Gueye, 32, is a devout Muslim and he regularly shares messages about his faith across his social media platforms.

In some Islamic countries, homosexuality is illegal and even punishable with the death penalty.

In Gueye’s native Senegal, homosexuality can result in five years imprisonment and gay marriage is not legal.

In February in Senegal, there was a protest organised in the capital of Dakhar by ultra-conservative Muslim groups that was attended by thousands, calling for harsher punishments for the LGBTQ community.

In France in 2021, complaints for crimes and offences against the LGBTQ community rose by 28 per cent, according to Le Parisien. French police recorded 3,790 attacks that the publication says were committed ‘due to sexual orientation’.

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Gueye has played for French champions PSG since 2019, joining in a £30million transfer from Everton, where he had been for three years.

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